PEANUTS: The Next ChapterSPECIAL: Highlight Reel
by HPDrummerman
Summary: PEANUTS: The Next Chapter author HPDrummerman, whose joined by Linus Van Pelt, looks at his top 10 episodes of the series, plus some additional info on the specials and One-Shots like the inspiration behind "It's New Love, Charlie Brown". Plus a Sneak Peek into the forthcoming special "Summer of Chaos".
1. Introduction

SPECIAL: Highlight Reel

_featuring HPDrummerman and Linus Van Pelt_

**INTRODUCTION**

_**HPDrummerman**_

Welcome to this _PEANUTS: The Next Chapter_ special. This is my personal thank you to those who follow my series based off of the PEANUTS characters created by Charles M. Schulz. First off I want to acknowledge fellow FanFiction member LivingOnLaughs for letting me use her OC Claudia Grandin for the series. If you're not familiar with Claudia, she is an autistic girl with two older sisters, Kayla and Krissy, the latter charged with taking care of her. And LivingOnLaughs has made her own _Next Chapter_ fan stories which I am flattered that she did in the same style as I would do it. Also look for her own series _PEANUTS HIGH _coming soon, which depicts the gang in high school. In short I want to thank her for being a great collaborator and letting me use her OC's for my series.

When I first did my fanfic "It's New Love, Charlie Brown", I was wanting to give Charlie Brown a steady girlfriend who cared about him and accepted his flaws and all. I looked at other fanfics for inspiration. I saw a ton of Charlie Brown X Peppermint Patty and Charlie Brown X Marcie shipping, and I even saw a few others with Heather, the little red-haired girl. One I particularly liked was "Unrequited Love" by Orange Ratchet. I also like the material from Ballz Mahoney. I even got into the stories that were being done by screak where Charlie Brown and Violet hooked up as adults. That one in particular I drew inspiration from for my mini-series _Lucy Van Pelt: A Lost Cause_ which, again, was based off of "A Waste of Time and Space" posed by David Crap-Writer. (Look for the follow-up prequel _The Lost Cause Diaries_ soon) But my biggest inspiration for "New Love" came when I saw two fanfics. The first "A New Crush" by TheCartoonKid was the first time I saw a Charlie Brown X Frieda ship. Now in the strip, Frieda was one of the nicer girls to Charlie Brown outside of Peppermint Patty and Marcie. So to me it made perfect sense. The other that I drew inspiration from was "A Different Red-Haired Girl" written by sarabell. In that one, Frieda loves to sing and show off her talent, and also falls in love with Charlie Brown. A third one, while not really romantic but showcases how Charlie Brown cares about Frieda, called "Simple Motions" by Poisoned-Quinn shows Charlie Brown comforting Frieda after learning about her parents' divorce.

So I drew inspiration from these fanfics and even looked at different ideas. So I decided to make my first full-length fanfic a Valentine's-themed story where Frieda gives Charlie Brown a valentine and offers to treat him to a date at the movies and some ice cream. I also decided to give her a bit of a personality and yes, give her a talent of singing. Schulz, himself, admitted that he pretty much made Freida a one-trick pony by only bragging about her naturally curly hair. So I fleshed her out more and even made it so she wasn't just a girly girl, either, but not tomboyish like Peppermint Patty, either. When first developing the story, I even thought about doing a CB X Marcie ship, and even pondered doing a CB X Eudora ship, as well, but I…

_**Linus**_

Did somebody mention Eudora?

_**HPDrummerman**_

Oh, hey, Linus. I was just talking about how _PEANUTS: The Next Chapter_ came to be. Care to join me in this special?

_**Linus**_

Sure, Mr. Drummerman.

_**HPDrummerman**_

You can just call me "HP", Linus.

_**Linus**_

Okay, HP.

_**HPDrummerman**_

Okay, where was I? Oh yeah! I pondered many different relationships for Charlie Brown, but kept going back to those two fanfics by sarabell and TheCartoonKid. So it was decided for _The Next Chapter_, Charlie Brown would have Frieda for his steady girlfriend. I mean, before Peppermint Patty and Marcie came along, they hung out quite a bit in the strip.

_**Linus**_

Don't forget it was I that introduced them originally. So I am the one that was partially responsible for getting them together.

_**HPDrummerman**_

Quite so, Linus. Well as I did these episodes, I also introduced my own OC's into the mix from Oxford "Ox" Warren, Charlie Brown and Sally's singing celebrity cousin Trevor B., Franklin's new girlfriend Melanie, The Serpent Sisters Cobra, Rattler, Anaconda, and the tragic Python, rival gang The Spiders with leader Black Widow and the shifty, psychotic Tarantula, Sally's new boyfriend Michael, Python's friend from Detroit Joslyn, and in addition resurrected some PEANUTS characters from either the strip or various specials like Freddy Fabulous, who you may remember from _You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown_, Dolores, who appeared in PEANUTS-themed educational film strips, Snoopy's brothers Spike, Olaf, and Andy (Belle and Marbles will show up too in the future), and most recently, Charlie Brown's ex Peggy Jean. And of all the episodes I did for the series, ten of them stand out as my personal favorites and are some that changed the game for PEANUTS in my opinion. So without further ado, Linus and I, HPDrummerman, present to you the Highlight Reel with my Top 10 episodes of _The Next Chapter_.

**UP NEXT: NUMBER 10**


	2. 10

**#10: "Starstruck (Episode 2)"**

_**HPDrummerman**_: This is only the second episode of the series. This is where I first introduce Charlie Brown's cousin singing sensation Trevor B. into the PEANUTS world. I also made it that Trevor had cross paths with Snoopy's brother Spike and adopted him for his own. And, as you can see in the recent episodes from the second season, Spike has adjusted well. I actually liked doing this episode because it made Charlie Brown seem important. To have a relative who's a well-known celebrity is always great. I, myself, have a few. Anyway here's where Trevor meets Charlie Brown's friends.

_**1**__**st**__** Clip from "Starstruck":**_

After the show, Charlie Brown and his friends were escorted backstage to meet up with Trevor. Snoopy was with them, keeping his security disguise on so he wouldn't be kicked out of the arena. As soon as they reached the green room where Trevor was, he greeted them.

"Charlie! Sally!" he said happily. "I'm so glad to see my two favorite cousins! How have you been?"

"Pretty good, Trevor," said Charlie Brown. "I got some friends for you to meet. You know Linus and Lucy already."

"How are you guys?" said Trevor. "You still have that sibling rivalry going between you two?"

"Every single day of our lives, Trevor," lamented Linus.

"But I keep trying to straighten him out," added Lucy.

"This is Schroeder," Charlie Brown continued. "He's a musician, as well."

"Wow, really?" said Trevor. "What do you play, Schroeder?"

"I play the piano," Schroeder said. "No offense to you but I'm more into classical than pop music."

"Especially when it's Beethoven," Lucy said right away.

"You like Beethoven, too?" asked Trevor.

"He's only the best composer around," Schroeder said with pride.

"I love his music," said Trevor. "When I'm not rehearsing for a recording session or concert, I listen to him as well."

"Wow!" said Schroeder. "Who would've thought a pop star actually listens to Beethoven?"

"It blows the mind," said Lucy sarcastically.

"And this is Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Franklin, Hans, Franco, and Melanie," said Charlie Brown.

"Very nice to meet you, Trev," said Peppermint Patty. "I hope you play baseball better than your cousin here, who I can strike out with three pitches." Charlie Brown turned red and smiled with embarrassment.

"I'm actually more into basketball," Trevor said.

"How do you do, Mr. B?" said Marcie.

"Mr. B's my father, Marcie," Trevor said with a smile. "Call me Trevor."

"Okay, Trevor." Marcie smiled at Trevor.

"Guten tag, Trevor," said Hans.

"Nice to meet you, mien friend," added Franco.

"How's it going, Trev?" said Franklin.

"Omigosh!" Melanie shouted. "THE Trevor B.! I am your biggest fan! Are you single? Are you looking for a girlfriend? May I…"

"Melanie!" shouted Franklin.

"Oops, sorry Frankie," said Melanie. "I got a little carried away there."

"It's okay," Trevor said. "I get this all the time. I'm used to it."

"And last, but never least," Charlie Brown continued, "this is my girlfriend, Frieda."

"Hi, Trevor," said Frieda, softly. "How are you?"

"Pretty great, Frieda," Trevor said. "So you're the girl who stole my cousin's heart."

"You could say that," she said, blushing.

"Frieda can sing too, Trevor," Sally added.

"Is that right?"

"Yeah," said Frieda. "I have done some concerts and talent shows."

"I'd like to hear you sing while I'm here," Trevor said.

"You would?"

"Absolutely. I like hearing new talent. I'm going to hang out here for a few days with my cousins before I go on to the next stop on the tour. So I'll be here to hear you sing."

"Oh wow," Frieda said with a smile.

"Plus anyone who can make my cousin happy is good in my book," said Trevor. Charlie Brown placed his arm around Frieda.

"She does make me happy," Charlie Brown said.

"I can tell, cuz," Trevor said. "You are one lucky guy." At that point Snoopy walked up to Trevor and put his paw out to shake. Trevor returned the shake.

"I haven't forgotten about you, Snoopy," he said. "In fact, I got a little surprise for you. You will have a playmate while I'm here. I adopted a beagle that was kind of living on his own. I found him as my tour bus was passing through Needles, California, and…"

"Wait a minute!" Charlie Brown said. "Did you say Needles?"

"Yeah, we were passing through there when we saw this skinny dog with a fedora on."

"That's Snoopy's brother Spike!" shouted Charlie Brown. "He's the one who lives out in Needles!"

And sure enough, Spike walked into the green room and saw Snoopy and both beagles got excited to see one another.

"Spike!" Snoopy said through his thoughts. "How did you join up with the round-headed kid's cousin?"

"I didn't know he was related to your owner," said Spike through his thoughts. "That must explain why we're in your town. He adopted me and now I live with him. No more sweeping out coyote dens for this beagle."

"Looks like Rerun's going to be happy to see Spike," said Linus.

"He almost adopted Spike himself, Trevor," said Charlie Brown.

"Really?" said Trevor. "I'll make sure Spike spends some time with him since they were that close."

Snoopy and Spike pointed at Lucy and ganged up on her and they both kissed her on the cheeks.

"YUCK!" she screamed. "Double dog germs! Trevor, do you have any facial disinfectant?" Everyone laughed. It was going to be a good few days with Trevor and Spike in town.

_**End of Clip**_

_**HPDrummerman**_: What also made this episode good was the "B" plot, dealing with Thibault and his anger issues. He was another character I resurrected for this series. I have seen other fanfics which pretty much kept him the same ill-tempered curmudgeon he had always been. But for my series, I decided to dig deeper into his psyche. Picking up from the debut episode, he was banned from approaching Patty (Violet's friend) after stalking her after their breakup in "New Love". This next couple of clips addresses his anger issues and why he acts the way he does.

_**2**__**nd**__** Clip from "Starstruck":**_

Around that time, Thibault was walking by himself down a street. He was in a sour mood, due to being banned from being near Patty after stalking her after their breakup. Plus, he hasn't been allowed back into school as of yet. He's been getting his learning at a remedial school for bad and underprivileged kids. It was then he bumped into Peppermint Patty.

"Hey kid, watch where you're… Thibault?!" she said shocked to see him.

"Hey Patty," he said, still frowning. "I'm sure you heard what happened with me."

"Are you kidding?" she said. "The talk about you just now died down. Everyone was talking about you stalking Patty. What in the world were you thinking?"

"I don't know," said the curmudgeon. "I was still upset about how we broke up."

"I heard about you getting thrown out at the Spring Dance by every girl at Patty's school. This is why I kicked you off the team, Thibault. You are a great player, but your attitude about us girls stinks. I was upset when Marcie decked you at first, but then I understood why she did it. You are a male chauvinist. You have views about girls that date back to the dark ages. I don't know why you listen to that uncle of yours and why your dad lets you still visit him."

"Actually, he's cut me off from seeing my uncle after, you know, this recent incident."

"Probably for the best," Peppermint Patty said. "But that's not the only issue. How about when you refused to give Chuck's glove back to him without a fight, only because you thought he thought he was better than you? Nothing could be further from the truth, Thibault. If you only knew how his life really is. He's the last person who would think he was better than anyone else. I think I know what your problem really is."

"What's that?" asked Thibault.

"You don't know how to deal with people, Thibault," said Patty. "You got these ill-conceived ideas about everyone from you thinking everyone thinking they're better than you and what girls should be doing. You act so angry at everyone when you have no reason to be angry at them. Nobody has ever done anything to you. So why are you so angry all of the time?"

And for the first time, Thibault's angry face disappeared to one that looked sad; almost on the verge of tears. "I-I don't know," he managed to say, almost breaking.

"Maybe you should talk to your dad about getting you some help," Patty continued. "Maybe with some professional help, you can get to the bottom of what is angering you all the time. Who knows? This could be the key to you getting back into school, and possibly getting that restraining order lifted. But if you're going to make peace with everyone, this is the first step you must take. And if you want, Franco and I can be there for some support."

"I'd like that," said Thibault, who looked like he was fighting back tears. His angry demeanor finally gone for the first time in ever.

"Come to my house first," Patty finished. "I'll call Franco, and then we can all go to your house and you can talk to your dad about getting some counseling." And Peppermint Patty and Thibault walked over to her house.

_**3**__**rd**__** Clip from "Starstruck":**_

"I think it started when my mom died," said Thibault to his psychiatrist. "She died when I was probably two. I have no memory of her. My dad pretty much raised me alone. He did date every so often, but it always ended when the women saw he had a son. I got to feeling that they didn't like me. Maybe that's why I act the way I do towards girls. I know my uncle Max was also a contributing factor to this. Whenever he'd take me on a fishing trip or to a ball game when my father was too busy with work to do it, he'd go on about the women's place was at home and the only work they needed to be doing was cleaning the house, doing the laundry, and cooking the meals. I started to believe what my uncle was saying. When my dad heard about what my uncle was telling me, he was angry, but I didn't listen to him. As far as I was concerned, Uncle Max was more a father to me than my real father was.

"Anyway, I started getting these thoughts about girls not doing what boys do. It was engrained in me. I also started being angrier for some reason. I don't know why. I also felt like people thought they were better than me. I know it's crazy, but it's true. I even tried to pick a fight with this round-headed kid over his glove that I borrowed for a baseball game. I tried to make him fight to get his glove back because I thought that he thought he was better than me. I don't know why I thought that, but I did.

"I even had a girlfriend briefly recently. I know right? The male chauvinist who hates women gets a girlfriend. Anyway I started mouthing off about the same stuff my uncle told me. Well she and her friends didn't take too kindly to what I had to say and at the Spring Dance back in April; I got tossed out by every girl at my girlfriend's school, not before being decked by a huge girl with an even nastier temper than mine. That's when the real downward spiral started. I started stalking my ex just because I blamed her for what happened to me. If those police didn't stop me, I probably would've continued to do it. Because I was a juvenile I couldn't go to jail but I still paid dearly. I was suspended from school indefinitely; I had to go to a remedial school because no public school would take me in any district. I had to do community service, which I'm still doing. And worse of all, I have a restraining order against me banning me from contacting my ex.

"I think had my mother lived, I think I would have turned out different. I'm just realizing the consequences of my actions and what it has done to those around me. I think that had my mother not died, I would've respected women and girls, rather than talk bad about them. I now see that I was wrong, and I want to make things right with the people that I wronged. But most of all, I just want to tell my ex-girlfriend that I'm sorry."

Thibault ended his story right there. A single tear fell down his cheek. He was truly ashamed of how he acted over the years. He regretted how he treated Patty, Marcie, Charlie Brown, and even Peppermint Patty, the only girl he halfway respected. He knew he had to do better. It was going to be a long road to redemption for young Thibault, but when he shared his thoughts with the psychiatrist, it was just the start to the healing process.

_**End of Clips**_

**UP NEXT: NUMBER 9**


	3. 9

**#9: "The Play-Sparkyville Idol (Episode 22)"**

_**HPDrummerman**_: The first episode of "The Play" story arc. Now this was a funny episode because of Snoopy's antics to try to get into the school show. Schroeder, as you recall, was not having it and had the beagle booted out at the drop of a hat. These next couple of clips shows what lengths Snoopy would go to just to be a star.

_**1**__**st**__** Clip of "The Play-Sparkyville Idol":**_

After all was done, Schroeder was able to get at least five acts (including Frieda, of course) into the show. But then, to the surprise of everyone, Snoopy and Woodstock bombarded the stage and went into a dance number they came up with.

"Charlie Brown!" Lucy yelled from the front of the stage up to where he was. "Did you know your stupid dog and his friend were doing this?!"

"Absolutely not, Lucy!" Charlie Brown yelled back. "I'm as surprised as all of you! I didn't even tell him about the show!"

"I don't doubt that you had nothing to do with this, Charlie Brown," Schroeder yelled, "but there's NO WAY I'm letting this beagle ruin MY program! SECURITY!"

And before they knew it, Snoopy and Woodstock were tossed out of the school auditorium. "That's no way to treat a star," Snoopy thought. Woodstock chirped at Snoopy.

"What do you mean that YOU'RE the star?!" the beagle retorted. And the two of them argued all the way back home.

_**2**__**nd**__** Clip of "The Play-Sparkyville Idol":**_

Schroeder and Charlie Brown were chatting about Trevor joining up with the show. Charlie Brown said, "He finally called me back yesterday. He said while he couldn't totally commit to it with his busy schedule, he'd try to make it. He promised that he would let us know closer to the show, but not the day of."

"I guess that's all I ask," Schroeder sighed. "Anything else?"

"Oh yeah," Charlie Brown remembered. "There's this girl named Claudia that's a new friend of Patty and Marcie's. She offered to make flyers for the show. These are some examples of her work." And he handed Schroeder some artwork that Claudia did.

"These are pretty good, Charlie Brown," said Schroeder with a smile. "Okay, tell her she can do the flyers for us."

"Great," said Charlie Brown. Just then, the boys heard some commotion from the stage.

"Is he for real?!" shouted one kid.

"He's already been kicked out once; what makes him think he can get into the show now?!" said another. Frieda ran up to Charlie Brown and Schroeder.

"Guys," she began, "you may want to deal with this." And they all went to the stage to see what the fuss was about. What they saw was Snoopy dressed as Carmen Miranda, complete with wrap filled with fruit and makeup, and doing a cha-cha across the stage.

"Okay, my dog has finally flipped!" groaned Charlie Brown. Frieda just snickered at the scene. The other kids were wondering what this dog was doing. But Schroeder was fuming and had no patience for the beagle's shenanigans.

"SECURITY!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. And before he knew it, Snoopy was out of the auditorium again.

"Why can't I have a normal dog like everyone else?" sighed Charlie Brown.

"You're guess is as good as mine, Charlie Brown," said Schroeder. "Hopefully he won't interrupt anymore of the rehearsals."

"At least not today," added Frieda. And the kids went back to work.

_**End of Clips**_

_**Linus**_: Hey, HP. Isn't this the episode where you first used LivingOnLaughs' character Claudia Grandin?

_**HPDrummerman**_: Yep, it is, Linus. And I have the clip where Peppermint Patty and Marcie introduces her to Charlie Brown and Frieda right here. Roll it!

_**3**__**rd**__** Clip of "The Play-Sparkyville Idol":**_

One Saturday at Joe's Café, Charlie Brown and Frieda were eating lunch when Peppermint Patty, Franco, Marcie, and Hans walked in. They had an auburn-haired girl with them who, like Marcie, wore glasses. The group headed over to where Charlie Brown and Frieda were.

"Hey, you two," greeted Patty.

"Hey guys," said Charlie Brown. "What's going on?"

"Not much," said Franco. "Enjoying the weekend."

"Yah, just got back from museum," added Hans.

"We took our new friend here with us," said Marcie.

"We were going to ask who she is," said Frieda.

"This is Claudia Grandin," announced Peppermint Patty. "She goes to our school now. Claudia, this is our friends, Chuck Brown, and Frieda Rich. They go to Birchwood, but we are good friends with them. Chuck also has a baseball team like me, and we play them often."

"Nice to meet you, Claudia," said Charlie Brown, who offer his hand to shake, but Claudia backed away.

"Huh?" said a confused Charlie Brown.

"Oh we should have told you, Chuck," Patty started. "Claudia's autistic. It takes a while for her to warm up to new people. She is a nice girl, but she's a bit shy. Just give her some time and she will eventually be more open with you."

"Oh, okay then," said Charlie Brown. "I didn't mean to startle her."

"It's all right, Charles," said Marcie. "She has Asperger's. She doesn't like talking about it much, so don't ask any questions about it to her."

"All right then," said Frieda.

"So what have you been up to this week?" asked Patty.

"Well, we've been helping Schroeder getting ready for a Christmas program that he's in charge of directing," said Charlie Brown.

"I've already been chosen to sing there," added Frieda.

"And I'm going to see if Trevor will make his presence known as a special guest," Charlie Brown continued. "Schroeder said it was alright. He's already got a few performers for the show, but Trevor would be the surprise guest."

"Sounds like it's shaping up to be a great show," said Patty.

"If y-y-your friend likes," Claudia spoke up, "I could do some p-posters for him."

"Really?" said Frieda.

"Sure," said Claudia with a smile. "I love d-doing pictures and artwork and things with pretty colors."

"Claude here is quite the artist, kids," said Patty. "You should see the stuff she's done."

"We'd like to see your artwork, Claudia," said Charlie Brown. "If you want to show it, that is."

"Sure, I can sh-sh-show you," said Claudia. She was already warming up to Charlie Brown and Frieda. "I've have plenty of artwork at h-home."

"All right, I'll talk to Schroeder about you doing some posters for the show," suggested Charlie Brown.

"Okay, thank you," said a happy Claudia, who then hugged Charlie Brown tightly, causing him to gag a bit.

"Personal space, Claudia," reminded Marcie.

"Oops, s-sorry," said Claudia, letting go of the blockhead.

"No problem," coughed Charlie Brown. "A strong one, she is!" And everyone laughed.

_**End of Clip**_

**UP NEXT: NUMBER 8**


	4. 8

**#8: "The Play-Requiem for a Blanket (Episode 24)"**

_**Linus**_: You just HAD to include this episode, didn't you?

_**HPDrummerman**_: Sorry, dude, but it's a personal favorite of mine. It was the end of an era for you, as tragic as it was. But you made it through and no longer need it.

_**Linus**_: Well, yeah you're right. Let's see what happened…

_**1**__**st**__** Clip from "The Play-Requiem for a Blanket"**_

Charlie Brown, Frieda, Linus, and Eudora were leaving Joe's Café and was heading back to Charlie Brown's house to study and, in Linus's case, to start another tutoring session with Sally. Frieda, in particular, had been rehearsing for the upcoming Christmas show. Charlie Brown's cousin, Trevor B. hadn't gave a definitive answer to if he would perform as a special guest yet. Plus, Snoopy continued to try to get into the show thinking it was his big break, but Schroeder wasn't having any of it. With Lucy as his main lieutenant, Snoopy was going to have a hard time getting in, as she had even less patience for the mischievous beagle than her boyfriend. To say that Charlie Brown had his hands full as of late would have been the mother of all understatements.

As the kids walked down the street, Linus asked, "How is Sally coming in her studies, Charlie Brown?"

"With you tutoring her, she has improved a lot," said Charlie Brown. "She doesn't bug me to do her homework for her like she used to. She's been doing her own work, and Michael's been helping her, as well."

"She's come a long way from where she was, for sure," added Frieda.

"That's great," said Linus with a smile.

"I've been helping, as well," said Eudora. "While I'm admittedly not the smartest girl in the world, I have been working with her to the best of my abilities."

"As far as the show goes, that's been a nightmare," Charlie Brown sighed. "Frieda here has been working hard to get her performance right, not to mention me trying to keep Snoopy out of the auditorium, but he keeps sneaking in somehow. I may have to get some of the guards close the doors and guard them during the rehearsals. Trying to keep Schroeder calm is a task in itself. Even Lucy hasn't been as crabby, and I expect her to be the first one to blow, but Schroeder somehow has beaten her to the punch."

"The day someone else is crabbier than Lucy is the day the world starts to turn topsy-turvy!" said Linus.

"I think poor Schroeder has bitten off more than he can chew," said Frieda. "I feel sorry for the poor guy."

The kids kept walking when a burst of wind almost swept them off their feet. Charlie Brown grabbed Frieda to keep her from falling over.

"Thank you, baby," she said, and then kissed him.

"It's really windy out here," said Eudora. "I almost lost my hat."

"We better be careful," added Linus. "If we're not careful, we could lose something like…" Before he could finish his sentence, his blanket flew out of his hand by a gush of wind.

"MY BLANKET! Quick! Everyone try to grab my blanket!" And the kids ran after the blanket. It flew down the street and landed on the edge of a wood chipper.

"Uh oh!" said Charlie Brown. "Let's grab it before…" Before they could reach it, the blanket fell in the chipper and started to shred it to bits. Linus turned pale. One tiny bit of his blanket fell to his feet. It was completely destroyed.

"I'm sorry, babe," said Eudora, comforting her boyfriend.

"We all are, Linus," added Charlie Brown.

Before anyone could react, Linus suddenly rose up and screamed to the heavens.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!"

Charlie Brown, Frieda, and Eudora escorted a distraught Linus to his house. Charlie Brown said, "I'll tell Sally that you got sick all of the sudden and had to cancel the session."

"Thank you, Charlie Brown," Linus said, meekly.

"Look after him, Eudora," said Frieda.

"I will, guys," assured Eudora. "Talk to you later."

_**End of Clip**_

_**HPDrummerman**_: What's significant about this episode is that it calls back to a story arc from the strip. The story arc where the blanket-hating grandma promises to stop smoking IF Linus gave up the blanket, and Lucy almost destroys it in the trash burner, only to be saved by Linus at the last moment. And Linus tells Lucy that when their mother says it was time to give up the blanket, THEN he would do so, but no one else. Well, in this episode, after the wood chipper destroyed the blanket, their mother said she wouldn't get another blanket for him and that it was time for him to give it up. And Linus honored the promise he made before.

_**2**__**nd**__** Clip from "The Play-Requiem for a Blanket"**_

"Linus?" Charlie Brown began.

"Oh, hi Charlie Brown, Frieda," Linus greeted sadly.

"How are you feeling, hun?" asked Frieda.

"Lousy," Linus said bluntly. "My blanket is gone forever. Mom even refused to buy a replacement, saying that I'm old enough now that I don't need to have another one. And I did promise that once mom said it was time for me to get rid of it, I'd do so. So, as much as it pains me, and because of that stupid wood chipper, I'm keeping my promise." He looked over at Lucy. "I know you must be happy to see that I'm no longer with the blanket."

"You know, Linus," Lucy began, "no one wanted you to be rid of that blanket more than me, well maybe except for grandma, but I never hoped that it would be destroyed in that fashion. In fact, as I got older, I hoped that you would give it up but still save it for your kid or kids you would have when you got to be a grownup."

"Well that's a little comforting," sighed Linus. "As I said, I'm keeping my promise because mom said it was time for me to go on without a blanket. I may be out of it for a while. I asked Sally's boyfriend, Michael, to fill in for me with her tutoring while I go through this. Give me about a week tops."

"Okay, Linus," said Charlie Brown. "I do hope you get through this. And if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to call me."

"Good ol' Charlie Brown," Linus said with a weak smile.

"You take care of yourself, Linus," said Frieda, who then gave him a friendly kiss on his forehead.

"Thanks guys," he said. "I'll see you around." And Charlie Brown and Frieda left. Lucy looked at her younger brother.

"You know something, Linus?" she began.

"What's that?"

"I think after you get past this, you'll be okay. And just think of how much better you'll feel not having to depend on your blanket for security."

"I can only hope, Lucy."

_**End of Clip**_

**UP NEXT: NUMBER 7**


	5. 7

**#7: "Sally's Got a Boyfriend (Episode 16)"**

_**HPDrummerman**_: While it was the previous episode "Spring Fever" where we were first introduced to Sally's new boyfriend, Michael Dawson, another OC I created for this series, here it was established that they were now together. And in this clip, Linus learns that old habits die hard.

_**Linus**_: Oh, good grief!

_**1**__**st**__** Clip from "Sally's Got a Boyfriend"**_

In the weeks that Sally and her new boyfriend, Michael, started dating, she had declared him her new Sweet Babboo. And Michael had gotten to know much of the gang. He had befriended Charlie Brown, Frieda, and Linus, and although Eudora and Sally weren't particularly close anymore, Eudora also was friendly with Michael. And unlike Linus, who hated the name and thought it was stupid, Michael didn't mind being called "Sweet Babboo" by Sally.

One day at the Brown household, Charlie Brown and Linus were going over stuff for the new baseball season, when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," said Sally. And she went to answer the door and Michael was standing there.

"Hey, Sally" he said with a smile.

"Hi, Michael," she swooned. "Has my Sweet Babboo come to help me with her homework?"

And as if on instinct, Linus shouted, "I AM **NOT** YOUR SWEET BABBOO!"

"Not you, you blockhead!" Sally retorted. "I'm talking to my Michael!"

"Oops, sorry," said an embarrassed Linus. "I'm still getting used to you not calling me that for once."

"It's okay, Linus," said Sally. "Someone close to me once said it just takes some getting used to." And she looked over at Charlie Brown, who smiled. His sister had come a long way from where she was a couple of months ago. And Sally and Michael went into the other room to study.

_**End of Clip**_

_**HPDrummerman**_: Also Peppermint Patty and Marcie try out different restaurants as a way of taking a break from eating burgers at Joe's Café, the gang's favorite hangout. Let's just say they bit off more than they could chew. Pun DEFINITELY intended.

_**2**__**nd**__** Clip from "Sally's Got a Boyfriend"**_

At that time Peppermint Patty and Marcie were at Patty's house. They were eating a meal they got To-Go from Joe's Café. Peppermint Patty was staring at her burger strangely.

"Is your burger okay, sir?" asked Marcie.

"Yeah," Patty said, with a grimace, "it's just that sometimes I get tired of Joe's all of the time. I'd like to try something different to eat, for once."

"Really? I always thought Joe's Café was one of the best places to get burgers at."

"It is, Marcie. But sometimes a person needs a break from the same thing all of the time. One place I want to go to is the Taco Hub, or Sidney's Subs, or even Ramen-R-Us!"

"Ramen-R-Us?"

"It's that new ramen noodle joint in Downtown Sparkyville. Anything, even another burger joint. Just something different from Joe's Café. Nothing against it, I just think some time away from there will give us a better appreciation for it in the end."

"I think I get where you're coming from, sir."

"And stop calling me 'sir'!"

_**3**__**rd**__** Clip from "Sally's Got a Boyfriend"**_

At the mall, Peppermint Patty and Marcie were in the food court. They were determined to try out something else to eat besides Joe's. Peppermint Patty immediately spotted a taco stand.

"Look, Marcie!" she said. "A taco stand! Let's try out the tacos they have."

"I'm not really in the mood for Mexican, sir," said Marcie. "How about we try out Mr. Chung's Asian Buffet?"

"Tell you what, Marcie, I'll go have the tacos, and you try out the buffet. And we'll see how both are."

"Sounds like a plan, sir." And both girls split to try out their chosen restaurants. When they got back to their table, Patty ate her tacos while Marcie enjoyed her sushi and California Rolls.

"How can you eat raw fish, Marcie?" asked Patty, who was gagging at the thought of eating raw fish.

"Sushi is not all raw fish, sir," Marcie replied. "Some of it, like these California Rolls, are made with imitation crab meat and vegetables, and the crab meat is already cooked. Plus they have cucumber rolls which is just cucumbers wrapped in the seaweed and rice. Even this eel is cooked. The only ones that are raw is the salmon and the tuna; everything else is either vegetable-based or cooked. Try this California Roll, sir. You'll like it." Peppermint Patty reluctantly tried the roll and she seemed to enjoy it.

"Not bad, Marcie," she said, with a smile. "If I ever do eat sushi, I'll probably get this, and maybe the cucumber rolls."

"You should try the eel as well, sir," Marcie suggested. "It is cooked and it's like normal fish."

"Maybe another time, Marcie. I tried some of your sushi, it's only fair that you try one of my tacos!"

Marcie took one of Patty's tacos and took a bite. Her face turned red and she was fanning her mouth. "What kind of tacos did you get, sir?!" she asked between fanning her mouth and panting.

"The extra spicy superhot tacos with habanero sauce," said Patty. "Here's some milk. That'll counteract the heat." And Marcie gulped the milk down and after a minute she was back to normal.

"Do they sell any mild tacos?" Marcie asked.

_**End of Clips**_

_**Linus**_: Well Sally wasn't the only one falling in love. Schroeder finally fell for my sister, Lucy. I know. I couldn't believe it, either!

_**HPDrummerman**_: Yep. After years of dodging her, Schroeder finally confessed his feelings for Lucy. Well, feelings that he NOW had for her.

_**4**__**th**__** Clip from "Sally's Got a Boyfriend"**_

Almost everyone had left the Van Pelt's home. Rerun's treehouse was near completion, and everything had went well. Cobra and Rattler stayed for a bit longer, as did Schroeder. Linus had walked Eudora home. Lucy, Rerun and Piper were watching TV in the next room.

"So Schroeder," Cobra began, "I couldn't help but notice that you were being extra nice to Lucy today."

"What are you talking about?" the blond boy asked in confusion.

"Lucy told us about how you would never give her the time of day in the past," Rattler added. "And now you are paying her compliments. So what has changed?"

"First of all you're right," Schroeder began. "Before I didn't want anything to do with Lucy. I pretty much ignored her or treated her like the plague. And the Homecoming incident back in October didn't help matters. But after the death of your friend… Python is it?" Both girls nodded. "I saw how hurt Lucy was. I decided to set my pride aside for the moment and comfort her in her time of need. That was when I saw a different side of Lucy. Not the usual fussbudget or crabby girl we all knew, but someone more vulnerable. She shared things that I never even heard from her. It wasn't the usual 'If we were married' conversation that I'd normally would get from her, it was about life and how it was fleeting. She felt like time was slipping by too fast. She wanted more out of life and wanted to not be so crabby anymore. She did say that she would still have her days, but she wanted to try to be a better person, especially after the scheme she concocted against Charlie Brown at the previous Homecoming Game years prior. That's when I decided to take her out for Valentine's Day, the day you found Eudora in that pit in Monte Woods. Charlie Brown told me about that. And ever since, Lucy's been on my mind."

"Maybe you're finally developing feelings for her," suggested Cobra.

"That could be," said Schroeder. "But, how can it be that I'm falling in love with the same girl that, until now, I've avoided like a smallpox?!"

"The heart knows what it wants, Schroeder," Cobra replied.

"So go over and tell her how you feel, already!" snapped Rattler.

"You're right. I'm going to do that now." And Schroeder walked over to where Lucy was sitting. She was still watching TV with Rerun and Piper.

"Lucy," he started, "can I talk to you in private?"

"Sure, Schroeder," said Lucy. "Let's go out to the garage. We'll have some privacy out there." And the two of them went to the garage.

Once they were alone in the garage, Schroeder said to Lucy, "For years I've always avoided talking about romance and relationships with you, even when you brought it up. While trying to idolize Beethoven had a part in it, some of the things you did to Charlie Brown, your brothers, and others also made me want to be a bachelor for life. But in the recent months, I've seen a change in you, Lucy. For the better. While you can still be crabby and bossy at times, the meanest you had towards others has gone away. You've even started treating Charlie Brown with some respect, which I didn't think you would ever do. It has made me respect you a lot better."

"What are you trying to say, Schroeder?" asked a confused Lucy.

"What I am saying is, while I wasn't in love with you before, I may be falling in love, now. I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but… I think I love you, Lucy Van Pelt."

Lucy could not believe it. It was the one thing she had always wanted to hear from Schroeder, and now she was hearing it. She was beaming from ear to ear.

"Now this still doesn't mean that we will be married," Schroeder continued. "It just means, if you are willing, let's see where this goes. What do you say?"

Lucy didn't give an answer. She just started to embrace Schroeder and delivered a heartfelt kiss to him. And, for once, he didn't flinch or recoil. He returned the affection. Finally Lucy and Schroeder had become two.

_**End of Clip**_

**UP NEXT: BRIEF INTERLUDE**


	6. Interlude: The Lost Peanuts Fanfic

**INTERLUDE: THE LOST PEANUTS FANFIC**

_**HPDrummerman**_

Believe it or not, there was another fanfic I started on after "It's New Love, Charlie Brown" and before the creation of _The Next Chapter_. It was a Halloween-themed story called fittingly "A Charlie Brown Halloween". In this fanfic, I introduced Franklin's dim-witted girlfriend Melanie and it was here that I also introduced the brother/sister scary duo Verona and Damien, the kids who run the haunted house on Halloween. After I came up with the idea of doing a complete series, I pretty much scrapped this story, which was complete and finished. However, some stuff from this fanfic _was_ preserved. First, I still implemented the haunted house and its ghoulish siblings in the episode "Descent Into Darkness-Great Pumpkin Rising" as well as a ghostly character called The Duchess. Now in "A Charlie Brown Halloween" her backstory was more horrific, involving a guillotine of all things, but in "Great Pumpkin Rising" her death wasn't as gory. Her new origin was a forbidden love affair and when she couldn't have the man she wanted, she ended it all by jumping in a river. The other element I kept from "A Charlie Brown Halloween" was an origin story that was interlaced with the main story. This was indicated as it was typed in italics. Before I deleted "A Charlie Brown Halloween" from the archives, I took the origin story and put it all together for the One-Shot that became "A Pumpkin Patch Most Sincere". So if you ever read "Most Sincere" and wondered why the typing was in italics, there you go. You now have the answer.

**UP NEXT: NUMBER 6**


	7. 6

**#6: "The Play-From the Heart (Episode 25)" **_**AND**_** "A Mother for Peppermint Patty (Episode 33)"**

_**Linus**_: Two episodes? Isn't that cheating?

_**HPDrummerman**_: No, not really. These two episodes from Season 2 share the Number 6 spot because they both deal with the vulnerable side of Peppermint Patty. Now "The Play-From the Heart" is the second episode in the series to deal with someone's death (we'll get to the first later in this countdown). As you recall, Linus, this was the episode that Peppermint Patty and Marcie met former child star Penelope Hawkins who was originally from Sparkyville but moved to Hollywood to star in her own sitcom _Sandra On the Side_.

_**Linus**_: Oh yeah. That show was a favorite for a lot of us.

_**HPDrummerman**_: Well, you remember your old friend Janice, who had leukemia?

_**Linus**_: I do. I still keep in touch with her. I even told her about Eudora and I dating. She's doing way much better these days.

_**HPDrummerman**_: Well if you recall in "From the Heart" Penelope had an even stronger strain of leukemia and because she lost nearly all her money to a greedy manager, they couldn't give her the treatment she needed. And during a fundraiser car wash at Joe's to get her and her parents some money to help them out, you may recall this happening…

_**1**__**st**__** Clip from "The Play-From the Heart"**_

As the day progressed, the kids had a few more cars to go before end time. They were just a few dollars away from their goal. As the last car pulled out of Joe's, Peppermint Patty and Franco tallied the rest of the money and added it to the total. "With the last few cars we washed," Patty announced, "we actually went over our goal! We made $5043!"

All of the kids cheered. Charlie Brown and Frieda kissed each other, as did Lucy and Schroeder. Linus and Eudora hugged one another. Sally and Michael danced around with Snoopy and his brothers and the birds. Peppermint Patty and Marcie walked the money up to Penelope, who was sitting in a chair with Charlie Brown and Frieda, and presented the money to her.

"Here you go, Penelope," said Peppermint Patty, with a smile. "Something to start on, just for you."

Penelope started crying. All of the kids wondered what was wrong. "Marcie," Patty whispered. "Did I say the wrong thing?"

"I think she's crying out of happiness, sir," Marcie whispered back.

"Oh thank you all so much!" Penelope finally said. "This means so much to me and my family. Peppermint Patty, I want to thank you for organizing this. And Charlie Brown, for your father helping my father out! I know we have friends here in Sparkyville that do care! You don't know how… much… oh!"

The kids all of the sudden grew worried. "Penelope, are you all right?" asked Charlie Brown.

"I feel a little… dizzy, that's… all…" And before she could say anything else, Penelope collapsed on the ground.

"GOOD GRIEF!" exclaimed Charlie Brown. "SOMEONE CALL 911!" Charlie Brown, Frieda, and Peppermint Patty checked on Penelope to see if she was conscience.

"Patty, you may want to get a hold of her parents," said Frieda.

"Right!" And Peppermint Patty pulled out her cell phone and called Penelope's parents. They had received a welfare phone so they could make phone calls. Penelope had given Patty the number if she wanted to get a hold of her. The ambulance arrived and took Penelope to the hospital.

_**2**__**nd**__** Clip from "The Play-From the Heart"**_

The kids walked up to Patty, still sitting in the chair. She turned around to see her friends standing there. She knew they were worried about her. Marcie was the first one to speak.

"Sir, we're not going to ask if you're okay," she started. "We know you're not and that you are upset about this. We all are and we understand. We just want you to know that you're not alone in this."

"We share in your sadness, fraulein," said her boyfriend Franco. "I want to be here for you. We all want to be here."

"Franco's right, Patty," added Charlie Brown. "We're your friends. We know you probably are too proud to say so, but we can be some comfort to you in this. As Marcie said, we were all devastated by the sudden passing of Penelope."

"We want to be here for you, hun," said Frieda. "Let us comfort you." Then, a teary-eyed Peppermint Patty looked at her friends and knew that she wasn't alone in her grief. Finally, without saying a word (a rarity for her) she hugged all of them and started bawling. Her friends and boyfriend all comforted her. It was something she needed at that time. It was then that she realized that after this, things would be all right.

_**End of Clips**_

_**HPDrummerman**_: Well in the episode "A Mother for Peppermint Patty", Patty's father finally got back in the dating game since the death of Patty's mother, Marie. While I covered Marie's death already in the One-Shot "freckles", here was the first time we see Patty herself talk about her mother at length. And for the first time, she had her friends, Marcie and Claudia visit her mother's grave with her. I have to admit, I almost got a little teary when I originally wrote this, myself.

_**Clip from "A Mother for Peppermint Patty"**_

Later that weekend, Patty was with Marcie and Claudia at a familiar cemetery. Marcie was curious. "Isn't this the same cemetery that Lucille's friend, Python, is buried, sir?" she asked.

"It is, Marcie," Patty responded. "But we're not here to visit her. We're here for someone else." And the girls kept walking. Then they stopped at a huge gravestone. On it read:

_Here lies_

_Marie Ann Reichardt_

_Loving Daughter, Wife, and Mother_

It was Patty's mother gravesite. She never told anybody about where her mother was buried. Not even Charlie Brown, Roy, Franklin, or Franco. And yet, during Python's funeral, only she knew that they were mere yards away from where Marie was buried.

"This is my mother's grave," said Patty somberly. "Not too many folks know about this place. She was just a few yards away from where Python is now. I don't usually share this part of me with anyone. Not even Franco, but I may bring him here one day when I'm ready."

"W-we understand, Patty," said Claudia.

"Absolutely, sir," added Marcie.

The girls looked at the grave for a while. Marcie and Claudia decided to give Patty some space so she and her mother could visit. Patty kneeled down in front of her mother's marker. She placed a stone on top of it. She felt tears coming to her eyes, so she wiped them away, and sighed deep.

"I'm thinking of you, mom."

_**End of Clip**_

**UP NEXT: NUMBER 5**


	8. 5

**#5: "The Play-Let My Sister Live (Episode 28)"**

_**HPDrummerman**_: Sometimes something bad happens to a character you know and love. And at the end of the episode "The Play-Showtime!" that happened to Sally when a faulty sandbag fell on top of her knocking her out. Well in the following episode "The Play-Let My Sister Live" we learn what happened to Sally after that tragic accident.

_**1**__**st**__** Clip from "The Play-Let My Sister Live"**_

That Saturday, Charlie Brown, Frieda, Michael, Linus, and Eudora was once again by Sally's bedside, seeing if she would wake up. Eudora was also concerned about her best friend seeing how they had not too long ago made amends over what happened on Valentine's Day. So to say she was anticipating Sally waking up was an understatement. Charlie Brown was feeling better after a good night's sleep, but still worried about his sister, but it was made easier with Frieda by his side the whole time. Schroeder had even started feeling a little better after his talk with Michael and his friend Tyler. So things were getting a little better, but Sally was still in a coma.

All of the sudden, Sally started moaning softly. Charlie Brown took notice. He whispered to her, "Sally? Can you hear me?"

"B-b-big brother?" she said, not completely awake yet.

"I'm here, Sally," said Charlie Brown. "Michael, Frieda, Eudora, and Linus. We're all here."

"What happened?" Sally asked, still regaining her bearings. "The last thing I remember was standing on the stage taking our final bows after the Christmas show."

"You were, hun," said Frieda. "A faulty sandbag fell from the rafters and landed on you. You've been out for almost a week."

"A week?" said a shocked, but still groggy Sally.

"Not only that," Michael began, "but they had to operate on you a little. You had sustained some spinal damage, but they think you'll be okay after a while."

"Really?" Sally at that point tried to move her legs, but couldn't. Something was very wrong and she couldn't figure out why she couldn't move her legs.

"Big brother," she said, getting scared, "I can't feel my legs! I can't feel my legs!"

"What?" said a shocked Charlie Brown.

"What's happened to me?!" said a near-tears Sally. "I can't move them at all!"

"That may have to do with the surgery you had," suggested Linus. "It may take some time for you to completely heal."

"You mean I won't be able to walk?!" asked a frightened Sally.

"Probably not for a while," said Linus, "but you may go into rehab to re-learn how to walk and regain that ability."

"Oh no!" cried Sally.

"I'm so sorry, Sally," said a tearful Eudora. "I wish I could do something for you."

"We'll get through this, Sally," said Charlie Brown, who looked as upset as his sister. "Somehow." And the Brown siblings and their friends wondered what the next few months were going to be like.

_**End of Clip**_

_**HPDrummerman**_: Sally, as you saw in the season finale "Peggy Jean's Return", is completely healed from her predicament. Well, Schroeder, who was the director of the Christmas show at the auditorium where the show was held, was feeling responsible for what had happened to Sally, even though he wasn't the one at fault.

_**2**__**nd**__** Clip from "The Play-Let My Sister Live)"**_

Lucy had went over to Schroeder's house. She was worried about her boyfriend and wanted to see if he was all right. He hadn't gone to school, either, but unlike Charlie Brown or Frieda, who was watching over Sally, no one knew why he was missing at school that day. So Lucy took it upon herself to check up on him. When she got there, his mother answered the door and told Lucy that he wasn't feeling well. She allowed her to check on him, though. And when she opened the door, she was shocked to see a rather depressed Schroeder moping in bed. Not since Charlie Brown did she see something like that, but while she expected HIM to do something like that knowing Charlie's nature, she wasn't prepared for Schroeder to be the same way.

"Honey!" she gasped. "Are you okay?"

"Is any of us really okay, Lucy?" he moaned. "Is this world even okay?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Why didn't I see that sandbag? Why did I not go up to the rafters to see if it was in good shape?"

"I told you before, you blockhead! It wasn't your responsibility to do that! The school maintenance was supposed to do that. If anything, it was THEIR fault for that, not yours!"

"I know. It still doesn't make it any easier."

"You know, Charlie Brown is taking this much better than you right now. And it was HIS sister that got injured. I can understand you being upset about this, we all are, but you're not to blame, baby. It could have been you, or me, or anyone else who was on that stage that night. You need to stop beating yourself up over this, Schroeder. Nobody blames you. Not Charlie Brown, Frieda, me, and when she does wake up, Sally won't even pin the blame on you. The only person blaming you is yourself."

And Schroeder looked up at his girlfriend. He looked her in the eye. She saw that he was tearing up and opened her arms to him. He fell into her embrace and started sobbing uncontrollably. This breakdown was what he needed to release all of the tension he'd been feeling over the accident. Lucy comforted him. She also sang a song to him that Peppermint Patty once sung to Charlie Brown before he dated Frieda.

_Poor sweet baby_

_Poor, poor, sweet, sweet baby_

_Show me where it hurts, I'll tell you how to make it well_

_I've won lots of loving cups for playing show and tell_

_My poor sweet baby_

_Poor, poor, sweet, sweet baby_

_When you need a shoulder, come and try mine on for size_

_I'm real good at holding hands and_

_Really great at drying eyes!_

_Just try me, cry me_

_All your tears_

_Why deny me_

_The pleasure of dryin' 'em_

_Stoppin' you cryin' 'em?_

_Don't despair, for_

_Smiles are what I'm there for!_

_You won't have to call on me, I'll always be right near_

_Here to kiss and cuddle you and_

_Whisper in your little ear_

_Don't fear!_

_There, there, baby_

_Poor, sweet baby_

_Poor, sweet baby_

_Lucy's here!_

_**3**__**rd**__** Clip from "The Play-Let My Sister Live"**_

Michael headed for Sally's room when he saw that Schroeder was already there. Michael didn't see him go by nor did Charlie Brown say he was there. He figured he snuck by Charlie Brown while he was out and Frieda was getting the coffee. Schroeder turned around to see that Michael had just arrived.

"Michael!" he began. "Words cannot express how sorry I am for this."

"It's all right, Schroeder," assured Michael. "You had nothing to do with this. The bag falling on Sally, tragic as it was, was just an accident. None of us had any control over it."

"People keep telling me that, and yet, I can't seem to stop thinking that I was responsible! It's like, I know the situation was out of my hands and I had no control over the sandbag falling, but I can't stop thinking it was my fault. I know it was an accident, but I can't stop feeling guilty. Why can't I stop feeling guilty?!" And Schroeder broke down yet again. Michael just shook his head.

"Come with me, Schroeder," he finally said. "There's someone I want you to meet. In fact, they're here in this hospital right now." And the two boys left Sally's room to go meet Michael's friend.

They ended up in the children's ward where a lot of kids were trying to get over their ailments. Michael brought Schroeder over to a bed where a young boy, slightly younger than them, was laying watching TV.

"Oh hi, Mikey," said the boy.

"Schroeder, I want you to meet Tyler," Michael announced. "He was hit by a tree branch during that freak storm we had back in July. He's still getting worked on to this day. Tyler, tell my friend here your story."

"Sure, Mikey," said a chipper Tyler. "I was trying to save my cat Tibby from a tree she was stuck in, but as I finally reached her, something bad happened. The storm rolled in before I could get her out of the tree. I finally reached her, but after I got out of the tree, a bolt of lightning hit a large branch and it fell on me, severing my spinal cord. After I got here, the doctors told me that there was a chance I wouldn't walk again. But I didn't give up or feel sorry for myself. I kept moving forward, not lingering on what I could have done different. Any Tom, Dick, or Harry can do that, but I decided that day that I WOULD heal and get better. And now I am regaining some movement in my legs and even learning to walk with a walker. But I never linger on the past, nor do I feel sorry for myself because of my predicament. I just keep going."

Schroeder took in what Tyler was saying to him, and he finally was starting to feel better for the first time since the accident.

"I get what you're saying, Tyler," Schroeder said. "Thank you. I think I can go on now. And thank you, Michael. I needed this."

"I'm sure you did," said Michael.

"How's your girl, by the way, Mikey?" asked Tyler. "Is she still in intensive care?"

"Yeah, I was about to head back over to check on her," Michael replied, "but I figured my friend here needed some much-needed advice."

"I gotcha, dude," Tyler said with a wink. And the two boys headed back towards Sally's room to see if she had awaken.

_**End of Clips**_

**UP NEXT: NUMBER 4**


	9. 4

**#4: "Play Ball! (Episode 17)"**

_**HPDrummerman**_: This one was exciting and poignant all at once. Exciting because Charlie Brown's team finally won a ball game on their own terms WITH Charlie Brown actually being there and winning the game for them, without Royanne Hobbs "letting" Charlie Brown hit those home runs, without someone's little brother betting a nickel that Charlie's team would win (I'm looking at you, Rerun!), and it was poignant because we said goodbye to Charlie Brown's hero, Joe Shlabotnik. Here are a couple of clips from this episode…

_**1**__**st**__** Clip from "Play Ball!"**_

"Okay, everybody!" said Charlie Brown. "Take your positions!" And everyone went to their spots. As Charlie Brown took his position on the pitcher's mound, Schroeder walked up to the mound to go over the signals.

"One finger will mean pitch the fast ball," he began, "two fingers will mean pitch the slow ball, three fingers will mean pitch the curve ball, and four fingers will mean it will be seven months until Beethoven's birthday." And he walked back to his position at home plate.

"I have a weird team," said Charlie Brown. And he prepared to throw the first pitch. We hear his inner monologue.

"Well here we go, the first game of the season. I start with a clean slate. And with the tips I've been getting from Franco, hopefully I can do better this time around. I'm not expecting us to win every game. Heck, I'm not expecting us to go to the championship. I just want to win at least a few games this season. What else have we got to lose?" And Charlie Brown threw his first pitch, only for it to return as a line drive and knock his clothes off, as usual, leaving his shorts on.

"Well, for starters, the shirt off my back," he sighed. He got up and got dressed and one of the outfielders threw the ball back to him. "I've got to bear down. It's Sidney or the Bush!" And Charlie Brown threw another pitch and the batter hit it high. Linus got underneath it as it was heading his way. He grabbed his blanket and caught the ball by tossing the blanket in the air.

"Wow! What a catch!" chimed Charlie Brown, with a smile. He figured there may actually be hope, after all. After another pitch, Snoopy ran and caught the ball in his mouth, scoring another out.

"Good job, Snoopy!" Charlie Brown said to his dog, who spat out the ball to his owner in his glove. After the next pitch, it went into the outfield towards Lucy.

"Come on, Lucy," Charlie Brown said, nervously. "Please catch it!" Charlie Brown had a right to be nervous. Out of all of his players, Lucy took the game the least seriously, yet was the first to blame Charlie Brown for losing. However this time around, as if she finally started being serious about playing, she caught the ball!

"I don't believe it!" Charlie Brown said to himself. "She actually caught the ball! SHE ACTUALLY CAUGHT THE BALL!" And sure enough, Charlie Brown's team was now up to bat. And he was happy. Not only was there a chance that they would win, but it was the season opener. And a good start was the key to more motivation for the team.

_**2**__**nd**__** Clip from "Play Ball!"**_

Back at the game, it was the seventh inning and Charlie Brown's team was keeping up with the other team. Nothing could slow them at this point. The score was really close and both teams were grinding out trying to keep ahead. The bases were loaded and Charlie Brown knew he needed an easy out to stay near the top. The game was far from done, but this was crucial to both teams.

Charlie Brown threw the pitch and it was a pop fly. Charlie Brown went for it. Again we hear his inner monologue.

"All right. I just need to catch this ball. I just hope it don't bounce out of my glove as it always does. I just need to remember what Franco said to do to prevent that…"

_**TWO MONTHS PRIOR**_

_ Charlie Brown and Franco were in Charlie's backyard going over some tips about catching a ball in flight. Charlie Brown had told Franco about how every time he thought he caught the ball, only for it to bounce out on the ground. Franco had a sure-fire way to prevent that from happening again._

_ "Okay, Charles," he began. "I'm going to throw ball up in air. You try to catch it when it lands." And Charlie Brown held his glove still and the ball landed in the glove, and then fell out, as it always did. Charlie Brown looked dejected._

_ "Don't get upset, Charles," Franco assured the round-headed boy. "I know of way to keep ball from bouncing out of glove. First, tilt glove up, like this, with finger up. Keep glove at angle so ball rolls toward you after landing in glove. Then when ball hit glove, take other hand and grasp ball so it won't fly out. Okay? We try again, mein friend!"_

_ And Franco tossed the ball up in the air again. This time Charlie Brown kept his glove at an angle with the slope going down towards him. And when the ball hit the glove, Charlie Brown took his other hand and grasped the ball; keeping it in the glove._

_ "Very good, Charles!" said a happy Franco._

_ "I don't believe it!" said Charlie Brown, equally happy. "It actually worked!"_

_ "Okay, we keep working at it," said Franco. And the two boys continued to practice the catch. And Charlie Brown got better and better at it._

_**BACK TO PRESENT DAY**_

As the ball was falling back to earth, Charlie Brown, remembering what Franco had taught him, tilted his glove upward and prepared his right hand to grasp the ball. And all of the kids looked in nervous anticipation as the ball landed in Charlie Brown's glove. And before it could bounce out, he clamped down on it to keep it in the glove. And then the empire shouted "You're out!" and the kids cheered.

"I don't believe it!" said a shocked Lucy. "Charlie Brown caught the ball and it didn't bounce out of his glove like it usually does! Is this the end times?!"

Charlie Brown's team was up to bat again, and they had a chance at winning, for once. As they were heading to the dugout, Frieda ran up to her boyfriend and kissed him on the cheek. "Great job, baby!" she said to Charlie Brown with a smile. "I knew you'd do good one of these days!"

"Thank you, Frieda," said Charlie Brown. "I just hope we can keep this momentum going."

"I'm sure we can, sweetie," assured Frieda. "Just keep doing your best, and anything is possible." Charlie Brown was glad to hear that from his girlfriend. With her on his side, he knew he couldn't fail.

Meanwhile, Sally, Michael, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Franco, and Hans showed up at the ballfield. When they saw each other, they stopped to talk to one another.

"Sally, Michael," Patty greeted. "Are you just getting here, yourself?"

"Yeah," said Sally. "We need to tell my brother something important."

"Would it have to do with Joe Shlabotnik being terminally ill and wanting to meet Chuck?" asked Patty.

"Yeah, how did you know?" asked Michael.

"We saw the same story," said Marcie. "We were going to tell Charles about it, but he's still playing."

"We might as well wait until they're done," said Patty. "From the looks of the scoreboard, it seems that Chuck's team is doing halfway decent, for once." And the kids took their seats in the bleachers.

Back on Charlie Brown's side, it was Ox's turn to bat. Charlie Brown decided to give him some pep talk.

"Okay Ox," he began, "don't worry about how they're going to pitch. If it looks like you can hit it, just go for it. Okay?" Ox nodded and went up to bat. When the ball came for him he swung and knocked it out of the park for a home run.

"DID YOU SEE THAT?!" exclaimed Peppermint Patty. "Someone on Chuck's team actually got a home run that wasn't Snoopy! How is that possible?!"

"He's got Ox on his side now," said Sally. "He nicknamed him his Ol' Slugger." And Ox ran to home plate for the score.

"Chuck's team is now tied with the other team," said Patty. "And now Snoopy is up to bat. I know he'll do a good job." And sure enough, Snoopy hit a home run and also ran for home, and, in classic Snoopy fashion, did some showboating on the way to home plate.

Now it was Linus who was up to bat. While he wasn't as good as Snoopy or Ox, he could hold his own on the field pretty well. He hit the ball and made it to first base. Next was Shermy, who did the same, and both Linus and him were able to steal third and second, respectively. Next was Lucy, who, predictably, struck out. Frieda did a bit better, but got tagged out on her way to first, though Linus was able to steal home, scoring them another point, and Shermy had made it to third. With two outs, Charlie Brown, himself, was up next. He managed to hit the ball toward center field and managed to take first base and Shermy ran toward home plate, giving them yet another run.

"Good grief!" said Peppermint Patty. "Chuck's team has a good lead, for once! I never thought I'd see the day!"

Later it was the bottom of the ninth. And Charlie Brown's team were up to bat again. All they needed was one point to win the game. The other team was ahead by one run, and Charlie Brown's team needed only two runs to win. They had two outs already and all they needed was only two runs. It was now or never for Charlie Brown.

First up at bat was Linus. He managed to get on second base. Next was Shermy, who made it to first. While the pitcher was watching both Linus and Shermy who were at third and second, respectively, Lucy was taking her place at bat. Charlie Brown was nervous. If they could tie but get an out, they go into extra innings, but if either one of them get out before hitting home, they lose the game. Lucy managed to get a hit, for once and made it to first base while Linus made it to home plate, tying up the score. They still had a chance. With Lucy on first and Shermy on second, all they needed was for one of them to score a winning run. Frieda was up next. She swung and got a hit and now the bases were loaded. It was now up to Charlie Brown.

"Uh oh!" said Peppermint Patty. "Chuck may actually get tagged out. At least they still have a chance with the score tied and may go into extra innings.

Charlie Brown gritted his teeth and watched the pitcher. He made sure he wouldn't miss. He swung and got his first strike. Then he got ball one. Then ball two. He swung at the next one and got a foul ball, and automatic strike two. Now he was sweating bullets. Frieda, who was watching from first base whispered, "You can do it, baby!" It was as if Charlie Brown heard her because when the ball came again, he swung and it connected, sending it out of the park. Charlie Brown somehow had hit a home run! The ball was never seen again. And the kids ran to home.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" shouted Peppermint Patty with disbelief. "CHUCK'S TEAM ACTUALLY WON!"

"GOOD JOB, CHARLES!" shouted Marcie from the bleachers.

"WAY TO GO, BIG BROTHER!" Sally yelled.

"Gut gemacht, Charles," said Franco, as he knew it was his teaching and tips that helped Charlie Brown.

"YOU HELPED SCORE THE WINNING RUN FOR US, CHARLIE BROWN!" shouted Linus with excitement. "YOU WERE THE HERO!"

Charlie Brown was beside himself with emotion. All he ever wanted, besides to be loved which was now covered by Frieda, was to win a baseball game. While his team had won games before, it was always when he wasn't playing, or someone filling in for him when he couldn't play. But now he actually won a game on his own merit. Not because someone "let him win" as was the case of when he face Royanne Hobbs, the great-granddaughter of Roy Hobbs. Everyone held up Charlie Brown. It was the Homecoming game all over again, only without the drama that followed. When they finally put Charlie Brown down, Frieda came up and kissed him.

"Charlie Brown, I love you so much!" she cried. "If this doesn't prove you're a winner, I don't know what will!"

"Thank you, Frieda," said Charlie Brown, with tears in his eyes. "I love you, too."

"Party at Joe's Café!" shouted Pig Pen. And everyone left for Joe's.

"Are we going to tell Chuck about Shlabotnik?" asked Peppermint Patty.

"I say let him celebrate tonight, sir," Marcie suggested. "We can let him know tomorrow."

And Peppermint Patty, Franco, Hans, Sally, and Michael nodded in agreement and decided to join them for the celebration, knowing that they can let him know about Joe Shlabotnik the next day after the fun had died down.

_**3**__**rd**__** Clip from "Play Ball!"**_

A few hours later, Charlie Brown and Frieda were walking back to Charlie Brown's house from the hospital. He was looking shocked from what they discussed with Joe.

"I don't believe it, Frieda," said a shell-shocked Charlie Brown. "Joe had set up a trust fund in my name for me to collect when I turn eighteen!"

"I know," said Frieda. "No one would believe it!"

"He said he had talked to my parents beforehand and he wanted to be the one to tell me. I guess this is parting gift to me before he passes. I wonder why he chose me, though."

"Because, Charlie Brown, you're his biggest fan. He figured since you always been supportive of him, and plus with no family of his own to leave anything to, he figured you were the best choice. And frankly, sweetheart, he couldn't have picked a better guy than you."

"Thanks, Frieda. I guess you're right. You are a wonderful girlfriend."

"And you are a great boyfriend. I love you." And Frieda kissed Charlie Brown.

"I love you, too." And the two of them continued walking.

The next day, the news came on and all of the kids were watching at their homes. The news report came on about Joe's passing. The news reporter began to speak.

"_Earlier this morning, Joe Shlabotnik passed away after a lengthy illness. He was noted for being the worst baseball player in all of major league baseball. But many folks have noted his kindness and big heart and dedicated love for the game of baseball, even if he wasn't good at it. He mainly played on minor league teams where he fared better. Just the day before, he had finally got in contact with Charles Brown, who was considered his biggest fan. And he had set up a trust fund for young Charles. The amount was not disclosed to the press as it was between Mr. Shlabotnik and the Brown family. And Mr. Shlabotnik didn't have any other surviving family members. Outside of the trust for Charles Brown, the rest of his estate will be donated to a charity he always supported. Mr. Shlabotnik will be missed._"

_**Bonus Clip from "SPECIAL: The Cutting Room Floor"**_

A few hours after the news report about Joe, Charlie Brown and Linus were at the wall discussing the trust Charlie had received from Joe.

"Who would have thought you'd earn a trust fund this early, Charlie Brown," said Linus.

"I know," agreed Charlie Brown. "Joe may have not been the greatest of players, I can even admit that, but he was always smart with his money. I guess since I was his biggest fan, and because he had no other family, I was the most logical choice for a trust fund set up in my name."

"What do you plan to do with the money once you get it?"

"Maybe use it to go to college when I graduate high school. It should earn a lot of interest from there. Plus your sister can't get her hands on it for her booth, either, because I can't even touch it until I turn 18."

"You'll get no argument from me on that one." And the two boys looked out and gather their thoughts as they watched the day go by, with Joe Shlabotnik not too far from their minds.

_**End of Clips**_

**UP NEXT: NUMBER 3**


	10. 3

**#3: "Descent Into Darkness-Blackout! (Part 2) (Episode 11)"**

_**HPDrummerman**_: While "Blackout! (Part 1)" saw Serpent Sister Margaux "Python" Holt getting shot by Anaconda while protecting Mamba (Lucy's Serpent handle), and as memorable as that episode was, it was the second where we learned about Python's back story from her days in Detroit and when she first met Joslyn, who had been mentioned in a previous episode. We also learn about how she first encountered Violet and Patty and how mean they were toward her (part of that sequence was used for "The Road to New Love (A Prequel)" and when she first met Cobra, Anaconda, and Rattler, the Serpent Sisters. Here is a clip from the moment she met Joslyn…

_**1**__**st**__** Clip from "Descent Into Darkness-Blackout (Part 2)"**_

_**DETROIT, MICHIGAN**_

_**FOUR YEARS AGO**_

_ In a rough area in Detroit, where there were projects all around, a 7 year old Margaux Holt sat on the stoop of her townhouse. She was playing with her dolls when she heard a sound like someone crying. She went to investigate where the sound was coming from. Just on the side of her stairway sat an even younger girl crying. Margaux looked in on the girl._

_ "Excuse me," she said. "Why are you crying, little girl?"_

_ "Nobody wants to play with me because they think I'm a baby!" said the girl through racking sobs._

_ "I'll play with you," said Margaux._

_ "Y-y-you will?" asked the girl now wiping her eyes._

_ "Sure," Margaux replied. "I know how mean kids can be. I would like to play with you. My name is Margaux. What's yours?"_

_ "I'm Joslyn," said the girl._

_ "Well it's nice to meet you, Joslyn. You're not from around here, are ya?"_

_ "No," Joslyn replied. "I'm originally from Lansing, the capitol of Michigan."_

_ "Well, Joslyn, I can introduce you to some great guys. They will play with you as well. If anyone's a friend of Margaux Holt, they're a friend of theirs as well." And young Margaux took her new friend Joslyn to meet her friends._

_**End of Clip**_

_**HPDrummerman**_: Another key scene is from Python's unforgettable funeral. This was a turning point in the PEANUTS canon, as Violet and Charlie Brown finally make peace with each other as Violet vows never to tease him or hurt him in any fashion again.

_**Linus**_: Are you going to include my speech, HP?

_**HPDrummerman**_: Of course.

_**2**__**nd**__** Clip from "Descent Into Darkness: Blackout! (Part 2)"**_

A few days later, the funeral for Margaux "Python" Holt commenced. Her family was there, as was most of the school, as well as some of Peppermint Patty's classmates, out of respect. It was a sad day for all. Lucy hadn't uttered a word during the service, but she shed a few tears during the service. When they got to the cemetery, all of the kids lined up to place white roses on her casket. White roses were her favorite flower. Snoopy, dressed in a military-style uniform, along with Woodstock and his bird friends who were dress similar, was first. After he placed his rose, Snoopy gave a salute as did the birds and they walked away. Charlie Brown and Frieda were next, then Peppermint Patty and Franco, Marcie and Hans, Linus and Eudora, Franklin and Melanie, Sally, Pig Pen, and Patty and Ox. When Violet and Shermy came up to place their roses, Violet broke down immediately. She felt a lot of guilt over how she treated Margaux and remembered her words to her when she apologized to her:

_ "If you are sorry for what you've done in the past, apologize to those other folks you've wronged, too."_

After being comforted by Shermy, Violet walked over to where Charlie Brown and Frieda were standing. She finally said, "Charlie Brown, I want to apologize to you for how I treated you over the years. I don't know what possessed me to act like that towards you and some of the other kids. I know now that I was hurting you and making you feel bad when I should have been building you up. I just hope you can forgive me." Violet started bawling again. Shermy hugged her. Charlie Brown was in disbelief. Here was the girl, that wasn't Lucy, which caused him the most grief in his life thus far apologizing to him with tears in her eyes.

"Violet," said Charlie Brown, "I don't know what to say. I do forgive you. Apology accepted. But I'm curious. What brought this on all of the sudden?"

"I talked to Margaux before, you know," said Violet. "And I also apologized to her for how I treated her. And she told me that if I was truly sorry that I had to make peace with all of those people I made miserable, including you. And I want to make peace with you, Charlie Brown. I will never hurt you again."

"Well thank you, Violet," said Charlie Brown. "As I said, I accept your apology." And Charlie Brown and Violet hugged each other. Frieda and Shermy smiled. Something good actually came out of this tragedy.

Lastly, the three remaining Serpent Sisters would lay their roses on the casket. First it was Cobra, then Rattler, and finally Lucy with Rerun, who looked even more grief-stricken than his older sister. Then finally, Margaux's mother walked up and laid her rose on her daughter's casket, and hovered over it crying. Lucy walked up and comforted her, also shedding tears. Linus stepped up to the podium at the foot of the grave and began to say a few words.

"I only knew Margaux for a few weeks," he began. "But I knew how much she meant to my sister. After a certain incident we won't talk about here, Margaux was the one who reached out to my sister and became her friend when everyone else had pretty much turned their back on her. She made my sister happier than I've seen her in months. And sure, it may have been originally part of an initiation into a 'group', but they became closer. And to Margaux I want to say thank you for being in my sister's life. Thank you for being nice to me and my brother. And even though you can't fulfill your promise to help Rerun with his treehouse, your friends Cobra and Rattler promised they would do it in your place.

"Even though we all hurt from this tragedy, we must continue on. The world doesn't stop because something bad happens. I am reminded of Genesis 8:22 which reads:

'As long as the earth endures,

seedtime and harvest,

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

day and night

will never cease.'

"And that's what we need to do. Don't cease in living our lives. Endure and muddle through. I know this hurts right now, but it can get better. It WILL get better."

_**End of Clip**_

**UP NEXT: PREVIEW OF "SUMMER OF CHAOS"**


	11. Interlude: Summer of Chaos First Look

**INTERLUDE: A FIRST LOOK AT "SUMMER OF CHAOS"**

_**HPDrummerman**_

We're getting into the home stretch here. And before we present my Top 2 episodes of _PEANUTS: The Next Chapter_, I wanted to present a first-look at the upcoming special that will follow this one. I'm talking about "Summer of Chaos". I had set the scene already in the season finale "Peggy Jean's Return", now here's a sneak peek for you. Enjoy.

_**Announcer**_

"Lucy Van Pelt and her friends The Serpent Sisters, along with The Spiders, had already met them once before…"

_Scene from "Descent Into Darkness-Blackout (Part 1)_

"Now before all of you die, is there anything you'd like to say? We'll give you all ten minutes, because THAT'S all the time you have left to live!"

"Well I have something to say, Tarantula," said Cobra, calmly.

"And that is?"

"Is that a police officer behind you?" Tarantula took the bait and looked behind her, and Black Widow punched her in the face. Cobra elbowed Anaconda in the gut and Python and Lucy knocked the gun out of her hand. Rattler grabbed a wood plank that was lying around and knocked out Anaconda.

"TAKE COVER!" shouted Cobra

"SPIDERS, SPREAD OUT!" commanded Black Widow.

_**Announcer**_

"Ultimately, it cost one of them their lives…"

_Scene continues_

"PYTHON!" wailed an upset Rattler.

"GOOD GRIEF!" exclaimed Charlie Brown.

"OH NO!" yelled Cobra.

Python was barely holding on. She leaned in. "Lucy?" she whispered.

"Yes, Margaux?"

"R-r-remember t-t-the jewelry b-b-b-box…." And she collapsed in Mamba's arms and went unconscious.

_**Announcer**_

"And the girls responsible were locked away. The trigger girl went to the Sparkyville Juvenile Detention Center, while the psychotic leader went to the Boobie Hatch, where she remained… …until now!"

_Scene from "Peggy Jean's Return"_

"All I want to know is WHO escaped?!"

"The girl in Room 1313," another guard responded.

"No!" shuddered the doctor. "Please tell me not that girl!"

"I'm afraid so," the head guard said, hanging his head down.

. "All right, officers, listen up! I got the file on the missing girl. This is now top priority. I looked through the file. This one may be a young girl, but she's dangerous. Take a good look at her picture. I will post an APB when we all get back to the station where I can brief you further. The girl's name is Hilary Wilson, but she goes by the nickname…

…_Tarantula._"

CUT TO BLACK

TARANTULA (V/O) : "Sparkyville is going to be painted red!"

_**Announcer**_

"Lucille 'Lucy' 'Mamba' Van Pelt, Sylvia 'Cobra' Martinez, Holly 'Rattler' Newton, Hilary 'Tarantula' Wilson, also starring Linus Van Pelt, Eudora, Liam 'Rerun' Van Pelt, Patricia 'Peppermint Patty' Reichardt, Marceline 'Marcie' Carlin, Claudia Grandin, Krissy Grandin, Franklin Armstrong, Melanie, Violet Gray, Sherman 'Shermy' Wilson, Patty Swanson, Oxford 'Ox' Warren, Thibault Watkins, Dolores, Jose Peterson, Frieda Rich, Snoopy, Andy, Olaf, Woodstock, Michael Dawson, Sally Brown, and last but not least, Charles 'Charlie' 'Chuck' Brown, the PEANUTS gang star in…

"**SUMMER OF CHAOS"**

LINUS: (to Charlie Brown) "This is going to be an exciting summer, Charlie Brown."

CHARLIE BROWN: "You can say that again, Linus."

Coming soon…

**UP NEXT: NUMBER 2**


	12. 2

**#2: "Tales from Sparkyville (Episode 23)"**

_**HPDrummerman**_: This is my second favorite episode I've done since starting this series. I borrowed heavily from anthology shows and movies for this one like "Tales from the Crypt" (where I borrowed the name of this episode from) and "Creepshow". But I wanted to give it a kid-friendly twist and not make too gory or scary. And the three stories I did for this all had happy endings, as well. I also brought back Verona and Damien from "Descent Into Darkness-Great Pumpkin Rising" who served as the hosts for this episode. Here are some highlights from the episode. Watch, IF YOU DARE! BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!

(sound of thunder roaring)

_**1**__**st**__** Clip from "Tales from Sparkyville"**_

**THE LAST SLUMBER PARY**

"All right, enough boy talk," said Peppermint Patty. "Who here knows any horror stories?"

"I don't like telling horror stories," said Sally, holding a teddy bear. "I always scare myself!"

"Oh, good grief!" sighed Lucy.

"How about the story of Sleepy Hollow?" suggested Marcie.

"Heard it!" said Patty.

"C'mon, Marcie," said Peppermint Patty. "We need something original."

"How about the Banshee of Hennepin County?" said Violet.

"Who?" asked Frieda.

"The Banshee of Hennepin County," Violet repeated. "It's a Sparkyville urban legend."

"I've never heard of this Banshee," said Sally.

"Not too many people have, Sally," said Violet. "Long before Lucy here gained the crown, the Banshee was the original Slumber Party Queen. No one talks of her name, but twenty years ago, she used to throw the best slumber parties in town. She was the most popular girl at school that all the boys wanted to date. She also had a loving family and actually got along with her younger siblings."

"Now I know this is fiction!" joked Lucy. "Who actually gets along with their siblings? I barely tolerate my own brothers."

"Well, one night before Halloween, she decided to throw a Halloween-themed slumber party for her friends. She had planned to have her friends come over to her house to spend the night and the next day was Halloween, which was on a Saturday that day, so no school the next day. She sent invites to her friends and had her mother buy all of the food for the party."

"When does she become the Banshee?!" asked an impatient Sally.

"I'm GETTING to that part!" sneered Violet. "ANYWAY, unbeknownst to the poor girl, her friends had already accepted an invite from another girl named Cindy Reyes. Cindy was another popular girl at the school. They had all planned to go to Cindy's house the night before Halloween. Well, when the night of the party arrived, the girl wondered where her friends were and what was taking them so long. So, she decided to go around and find out what was happening. She had tried to call all of them but no answer from any of them. She finds out from some other girl that Cindy was having a big slumber party blowout at her place. She went to Cindy's house only to find all of her friends there. She had never received an invite to Cindy's party herself, so she didn't know about the party until that night.

"To say she was upset was an understatement. She was furious; so furious that she crashed the party and called out her so-called friends. She wanted to know why they didn't come to her party or even tell her about Cindy's party. One of their friends told her that they couldn't stand her grandstanding at her parties and that they wanted a different place other than hers to go to. After being told that, the girl ran out and back for home where she told her mother to cancel all plans for the party and to let her brothers eat the food. It was later that night when she ran away from home figuring her friends deserted her and didn't want to be her friends anymore. She fled into Monte Woods never to be seen again. Until a few years later, the anniversary of her disappearance, all of her old friends were said to be haunted by her spirit which became the Banshee of Hennepin County. Each and every one of her former friends disappeared without a trace that night like she did those years ago. But it wasn't the end. Every Halloween Eve, it has been said that the Banshee haunts slumber parties and takes girls to parts unknown, never to be seen again."

"Tonight is Halloween Eve!" said a scared Sally.

"Oh relax, Sally," said Lucy. "It's just an urban legend."

"There's no such thing as a Banshee of Hennepin County," added Frieda.

"Do you think there's truth to that story, sir?" asked Marcie to Peppermint Patty.

"Don't be ridiculous, Marcie," her best friend responded. "It's only folklore. Pure fiction. Right, Violet?"

"Well, it is true that the girl disappeared and is still missing to this day," Violet explained, "but as far as the Banshee story goes, 100% fake!" Sally and Marcie breathed sighs of relief as the other girls laughed.

_**2**__**nd**__** Clip from "Tales from Sparkyville"**_

**THE LAST SLUMBER PARTY cont.**

Then they heard the wailing again, but this time someone said something behind it. "I am the true Queen of the Slumber Partiiiiiiiiiiiiies!"

"GOOD GRIEF!" exclaimed Patty. "IT'S HER!"

And before they knew it, a ghostly figure appeared before them. She looked like a young girl their age, but was floating and scary-looking.

"I am the Banshee of Hennepin County," said the ghost. "I was once the undisputed Queen of the Slumber Parties. But my crown was taken by that awful Cindy! Now I am forced to haunt slumber parties like this one and take the girls of said slumber parties away. Which reminds me, YOU WILL ALL COME WITH ME!"

"Not if we can help it, sister!" said Peppermint Patty. "RUN FOR IT!"

And the girls ran out of the house with the Banshee hot on their tracks. They made it to Monte Woods and stopped running when they saw that the ghost had disappeared.

"All right, we need a plan," said Lucy, panting and out of breath.

"But what can we do to avoid the Banshee?" asked Sally.

"We split up," suggested Peppermint Patty. "She can't get all of us at once. She has to chase one of us, but she can't chase all of us if we're apart. We will meet back at Lucille's once we lost the Banshee. Is everyone agreed?" The girls reluctantly nodded. "Okay. Marcie, you come with me. I may know someone who's dealt with the paranormal before, but I'll still need your help."

"Okay, sir." And the girls split up and went different directions. But as they tried to get away from the Banshee, the scepter was too fast for them. First to be scooped up was the girl who told the story about the Banshee in the first place, Violet. Then her best friend, Patty, was collected. Frieda and Lucy were next to go, and then, despite some bargaining and trying to make a deal, Sally was collected by the Banshee, as well. All who was left was Peppermint Patty and Marcie, who made it to the place that dealt with paranormal activity. They knocked on the door and answering was a tall-lanky kid with blond hair, who wore a robe with a hood.

"Freddy, we need your help," Peppermint Patty announced. "We're dealing with…"

"…The Banshee of Hennepin County?" said Freddy, finishing the sentence. "Get in now! My place is the only place where you'll be safe." And the two girls complied. Continuing he said, "Before you got here, I was already working on a spell that will send the Banshee back to the beyond. The only problem is, while I can get rid of the Banshee, I won't be able to get the girls she's taken away back."

Peppermint Patty and Marcie gasped. "Our friends are still out there," said Marcie. "What if the Banshee had grabbed them?"

"Maybe it's not too late still," Freddy pondered. "So as long as we can vanquish her tonight, there's a chance we could still save your friends and bring them back. But we have to do it before the sun peaks over the horizon. If we don't vanquish her before sunrise, your friends are lost with the other girls the Banshee has claimed. Now I got the spell ready; all we need to do is head back into Monte Woods, because that's where the girl disappeared when she ran away in the first place." And the three of them went back to Monte Woods.

Once they got near the center of the woods, they spotted the Banshee swirling around the clearing. She spotted the three heroes.

"Ah, you came to join your friends, after all," the scepter said. "Well it won't hurt a bit. You'll just disappear from existence."

"Don't even try it, girlie!" said Freddy, who held a vial of potion in his hand. "Your days of claiming souls are over! It's time you've went back to the great beyond where you belong." And he threw the vial under the ghost.

"Ha!" said the Banshee, with an air of smugness. "You didn't even hit me! Hmph! Nerd!"

"That's the point, Banshee baby," said Freddy with a grin. "This potion you don't throw AT ghost; you throw under them, causing a chemical reaction with the air and ectoplasm in your aura!" Just then the potion started to bubble in the spot Freddy threw it at. And then blue lights shot out of the potion and started to suck the Banshee in.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" shrieked the Banshee. "I can't go back! I must reclaim my crown!"

"It's only a slumber party!" said Peppermint Patty. "Not a wedding!"

"NO MATTER WHAT," the scepter said as the light sucked her in, "I WILL ALWAYS BE THE QUEEN OF SLUMBER PAAAAAAAAAARTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIES…"

And with that the Banshee was sucked back to the beyond. And the lights disappeared. Just then, Lucy, Frieda, Violet, Patty, and Sally reappeared where the Banshee was.

"You saved us!" cried a grateful Frieda.

"I am never telling scary stories again!" swore Violet.

"Probably for the best," agreed Patty.

"If that Banshee ever comes back, I'll pound her!" fumed an angry Lucy.

"That's it!" shouted Sally. "From now on, I'm going to slumber parties where they don't tell scary stories!"

_**3**__**rd**__** Clip from "Tales from Sparkyville"**_

**WEREBEAGLE**

Charlie Brown headed for home. Once he reached his house, he saw his dog, Snoopy, laying on top of his doghouse. Before he could even open the door, his young sister, Sally pulled him in.

"Get in, big brother!" she demanded. "Do you want the werebeagle to get you?!"

"I was just coming in, Sally," said Charlie Brown. "I wasn't going to be attacked by the werebeagle."

"You don't know that!" Sally protested. "Just as you were about to turn the knob, the werebeagle could've eaten you up before you even stepped into the house!"

Just then the siblings heard a knock on the door. Sally stopped her brother from answering the door. But was relieved when they heard, "Open up, Charlie Brown. It's me. Linus!"

"Well you can let my future husband in," said Sally.

As Charlie Brown opened the door for his best friend, Linus said without missing a beat, "I am NOT your future ANYTHING! Anyway, I am glad I got here. I heard the werebeagle's howl in the distance."

"Are you sure it wasn't a coyote, Linus?" asked Charlie Brown.

"I know a coyote's howl, Charlie Brown," said Linus. "This howl was more high-pitched. And the werebeagle usually has a higher howl than a coyote or a wolf." Just then, the three kids heard the high-pitched howl for themselves. It was louder than before.

"The werebeagle must be close," warned Linus. "Quick turn out all of the lights! And find somewhere to hide!" And Charlie Brown, Sally, and Linus hid in different areas. The howling continued for about a half hour and then it stopped. The kids emerged from their hiding spots and went to a window and looked around.

"No sign of the werebeagle," said Charlie Brown. "He must've left this area."

"Maybe," said Linus, "but we still have to be on high alert. I'm not leaving here until dawn."

"I don't blame you, Linus," Charlie Brown responded. "I wouldn't want to be out there with the werebeagle out right now." And the kids went to bed and eventually went to sleep.

_**4**__**th**__** Clip from "Tales from Sparkyville"**_

**WEREBEAGLE cont.**

Later that night, Charlie Brown was in bed. Soon, he heard the familiar howl outside.

"It's the werebeagle!" he whispered to himself.

Soon he heard some munching sounds from outside, and then a springing noise. The werebeagle was captured. All Charlie Brown heard was some snarling noises. He went to wake up Sally.

"Sally wake up!" he said. "I caught the werebeagle!"

"Really?" said Sally. "Where is he?"

"In the backyard," said Charlie Brown. "Linus and I set up a trap for him this afternoon." And the two kids went into the backyard and saw the werebeagle. It wasn't very large. In fact, it was smaller than the kids. Although its fur was very long and shaggy, and it had teeth hanging out of its mouth. Its eyes were bloodshot and he had a big nose. The Brown siblings looked at the creature and thought it looked very familiar.

"Sally, I think I know who the werebeagle is," said Charlie Brown.

Just then, Linus, Lucy, Frieda, and Franklin came running up.

"Did you catch the werebeagle, Charlie Brown?" asked Linus.

"I did, Linus," Charlie Brown replied.

"My hero!" cheered Frieda, and she went to hug and kiss Charlie Brown.

"How about that?" said Lucy. "There really is a werebeagle!"

"My brother was just saying that he thinks he knows who the werebeagle was," Sally replied.

"Who is it, Charlie Brown?" asked Franklin.

"I think it's my own dog Snoopy," Charlie Brown responded. "Look at him. Look at the markings."

"Well there's one way to find out," said Linus. "Hey Snoopy, it's suppertime!"

And right on cue, the werebeagle jumped out of the snare trap and started dancing around like Snoopy always did.

"Good grief!" said Lucy. "It is that stupid beagle! Rather, that stupid werebeagle!"

"I can't believe it!" sighed Charlie Brown. "My own dog a werebeagle! Snoopy, how did this happen?!" And Snoopy pointed to his paw which was bandaged.

"Well they say that when a man is bitten by a wolf, he turns into a werewolf," said Franklin. "Maybe Snoopy was bitten by a wolf and he turned into the werebeagle. But instead of attacking people like a werewolf would do, he goes after the one thing he loves more than life; food!"

"Snoopy, were you bitten by a wolf in a fight or something?" asked Linus. Snoopy nodded.

"What are we going to do?" said a distraught Charlie Brown. "Snoopy can't keep turning into the werebeagle."

"Hey I just remembered," said Linus. "The only way to keep a man turning into a werewolf is to have him wear something of silver, or shooting him with a silver bullet. Maybe it will work on dogs, too. Franklin, do you still have that silver medallion your grandfather gave you?"

"Right here." Franklin pulled out the medallion. Linus took the medallion and placed it around Snoopy's neck. Almost immediately, he turned back to normal.

"Charlie Brown, make sure that silver medallion stays on Snoopy until that bite gets treated and heals," said Linus. "Even after the bite gets treated, he will still have the power to turn into a werebeagle. So the medallion has to stay on him until the bite heals completely." And Charlie Brown brought Snoopy inside so he can stay out of trouble for the rest of the night. He kissed Frieda goodnight and said goodnight to everyone else. He and Sally went back to bed. Snoopy joined him and kept the medallion on his dog collar so he could stay normal until the bite was taken care of. The next day, Charlie Brown took Snoopy to a vet to treat the bite. He knew when the bite healed up that his dog would be back to normal.

_**5**__**th**__** Clip from "Tales from Sparkyville"**_

**BEETHOVEN FANATIC**

The next day, Lucy was walking with Frieda and Peppermint Patty towards Schroeder's house. They wanted to share what Schroeder missed at the dance the previous night.

"I wish I could have danced with my Schroeder," Lucy lamented. "Once he hears what fun he missed out on, I'm sure he won't stand me up again."

"Maybe, Lucille," Peppermint Patty began, "but I wouldn't count on it."

"The only things he loves more than even you is playing the music of his idol Beethoven," added Frieda. "While it's okay to love classical music, there is such a thing as too much of one kind of music."

"Maybe," said Lucy, "but try telling him that." When they approached his house, they heard the sound of Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Opus 111 playing loudly. As they entered the house, they saw Schroeder at the piano. While they were used to seeing him playing his piano as he always did, they couldn't help but notice that he looked different. His hair was done up in a late 1700s/early 1800s style, and he looked really stern and frustrated, even for him.

"Schroeder?" Lucy started. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Nicht jetzt, Frau!" he shouted with his voice sounding drastically different. "Ich bin damit beschäftigt, meine Sonate zu üben!"

"What did you say?" asked Lucy, getting upset.

"Kann ein Mann seine Musik nicht in Ruhe üben?!" he responded.

Peppermint Patty recognized the language. "Lucille, he's talking in German!"

"How do you know, Patty?" Lucy asked.

"Uh, you do know my boyfriend, Franco, just so happens to be German," Patty retorted.

"Yeah, but why is Schroeder all of the sudden speaking it?" wondered Frieda.

"Well with him liking Beethoven and all, maybe he's picked up on the German language," reasoned Lucy. Turning back to her boyfriend, she said, "Schroeder, can't you go back to talking English, please?"

"Guter Kummer, Frau!" he shouted, finally stopping playing. "Schröder ist nicht mehr. Du kannst mich Ludwig nennen!"

"I think he said his name was now Ludwig, as in Ludwig van Beethoven!" said a concerned Patty.

"What are we going to do?" asked Frieda.

"Patty, call Franco and tell him to come over here right away," said Lucy. "He's German, so he'll understand Schro- I mean Ludwig here. Afterwards, I'm calling Linus."

"What will Linus do?" asked Patty.

"He's been studying up on removing spirits and exorcisms," Lucy replied. "He will be crucial to saving Schroeder."

A few minutes later, both Linus and Franco showed up. Charlie Brown and Snoopy also came for extra help. Franco talked in his native German language to "Ludwig" so he can be calm around another native German. Linus, meanwhile, got ready to perform the exorcism.

"Everyone circle the host and piano," Linus started. "Now hold hands." And everyone held hands. For Snoopy, one paw was holding his owner's hand, and the other beckoned Lucy's.

"I AM NOT HOLDING HANDSOR PAWS WITH THAT STUPID BEAGLE!" she ranted.

"Good grief, Lucy, do you want to save Schroeder or not?!" said a frustrated Charlie Brown. "Set your stupid pride aside for now and grab my dogs paw!"

Lucy reluctantly held Snoopy's other paw and the exorcism began. "Oh spirit of Ludwig van Beethoven," Linus began. "Leave this boy! You must move on. Your music will forever survive and your last sonata will always be performed. Just move on."

And the kids started chanting "Move on" and Schroeder's body started shaking and twitching before finally collapsing on top of the piano. After a while, Schroeder groaned and got up.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Schroeder, you wouldn't believe me if I told you," said Lucy. And the rest started laughing. Schroeder was back to normal.

A few days later, Lucy went to Schroeder's house to see if he had recovered fully from his possession. He was watching TV and not at his piano like he usually was.

"Schroeder," she began. "How come you're not playing your piano?"

"Well I thought about what you said, Lucy," he began, "and I figured you were right. I do need to take a break from playing. I will play once again, but for now, I'm going to take it easy. Plus, I think I need a break from Beethoven. As much as I like playing his music, somehow I feel like I should stay away from it for a while. Maybe play some Bach or even some Holden."

"Now that sounds like a plan, baby," said a happy Lucy. She joined her boyfriend to watch TV and relax for the afternoon.

_**End of Clips**_

**UP NEXT: NUMBER 1**


	13. 1

**#1: "Homecoming Redemption (Episode 3)"**

_**HPDrummerman**_: Well here we are at the Number 1 episode of _PEANUTS: The Next Chapter_. This is my Number 1 for a reason. Many PEANUTS fans remember the infamous special "It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown". Believe it or not, it was one of my favorites, even with the unfair blaming of Charlie Brown. But like everyone else, I wanted Lucy to get some sort of comeuppance for her actions and also Peppermint Patty to acknowledge she screwed up when she unfairly blamed Charlie Brown for losing the game. That's where the idea for this episode came from. I planted the setup for this episode in the previous episode, the aforementioned "Starstruck" which is Number 10 on this list. And when the next Homecoming Game finally arrived, I wanted it to be common knowledge that Lucy had, in fact, pulled the ball away from Charlie Brown and that footage from the original game proved that (Don't forget, Woodstock was covering the game with a TV camera). I also wanted to reveal that the ball being pulled away was part of a bigger scheme by Lucy to publicly humiliate Charlie Brown just for the fun of it and to have Heather, the little red-haired girl, reject him as a result. While she had succeeded in humiliating him on the field, the little red-haired girl still danced with Charlie Brown at the dance.

_**LINUS**_: He really had some great moves on the dance floor, HP. You should have seen him dancing at the spring dance with Frieda. They were a hit!

_**HPDrummerman**_: Anyway, in this episode, not only did I want to have Charlie Brown have a do-over and show that he is, in fact, a decent football punter, but to have Lucy answer for her crimes, as well. Before we get to the legendary scene at the dance, let's look at how Lucy pulled this scheme off first.

_**1**__**st**__** Clip of "Homecoming Redemption"**_

**ONE MONTH BEFORE THE PREVIOUS HOMECOMING GAME:**

_Peppermint Patty and Charlie Brown were sitting under a tree. They were talking about the upcoming Homecoming game. Rumor had it was that a girl from Charlie Brown's school was in the running to be the Homecoming Queen. He didn't know who it was, though._

_ "Hey Chuck," Patty began, "you know we got the big Homecoming game coming up. And I need a kicker for our team. Would you be interested?"_

_ "Me?" asked Charlie Brown. "I guess so."_

_ "I know you're not that great at football, but I was told you were a great kicker."_

_ "Who told you that?"_

_ "Lucille was the one to suggest you."_

_ "LUCY?! I wonder why she would suggest me, knowing that she's always pulls the ball away from me when we're off the field."_

_ "I know she pulls that trick on you constantly, Chuck. But she promised that wouldn't happen during the game. She knows how important it is to us to win it."_

_ "I don't know. I guess as long as she's not holding the ball, I guess it'll be okay."_

_ "She is holding it, Chuck."_

_ "Oh good grief!"_

_ "Relax, Chuck. She wouldn't pull that knowing that it's a big game for us."_

_ "I hope you're right, Patty. I just don't want to be made a fool of during the game."_

_ "I understand, Chuck. Just keep that magic foot in shape for the game."_

_ As that conversation was going on, elsewhere Lucy and Violet were having their own discussion about the game._

_ "You can congratulate me now," Lucy said with pride._

_ "Congratulate you for what?" wondered Violet._

_ "Congratulate me for coming up with the greatest scheme ever," said Lucy with an evil grin on her face. "I just convinced Peppermint Patty to add Charlie Brown to the football team for the Homecoming game. I told her he was one of the greatest football punters around. I told her while he wasn't that great at baseball, he was a great kicker for football."_

_ "So?"_

_ "You know how I always pull the ball away from him every year?"_

_ "Yeah?"_

_ "Well, I'm going to do it on a grander scale at the game, multiple times when he comes up to kick the ball! And the best part is Peppermint Patty won't be paying attention because she'll be too busy in the line of scrimmage, so she is sure to blame him for messing up the kick, when in reality he missed it by no fault of his own. It will be the greatest humiliation towards Charlie Brown."_

_ "What's so great about that, Lucy? Charlie Brown does a good job at humiliating himself without help. Why not just wait for him to mess up on his own?"_

_ "You didn't hear the best part about this scheme, yet! Rumor has it that a certain little red-haired girl Charlie Brown likes so much has been nominated for Homecoming Queen. And I placed his name, along with Linus's name, in a ballot box to be the escorts for the Queen and her court."_

_ "You didn't?!"_

_ "I did! While I figured I was doing my brother a favor, in Charlie Brown's case, it will be the greatest humiliation. When everyone else blames him for losing the game, the little red-haired girl will probably not want anything to do with Charlie Brown at all. He will be crushed, and it will be so beautiful!"_

_ "And I thought I was mean. Lucy, that's pretty bad, even for you. I may not think much of Charlie Brown, let alone like him, but I would never go out of my way to humiliate him in this fashion. I may put him down or point out how much of a simpleton he is to his face, but I would never try to purposely sabotage his chance of being a winner at something. Especially if the girl he likes is the Queen. I just pray he doesn't get chosen as part of the court."_

_ "I guess that's the difference between me and you, Violet. You and Patty are content with putting him down; I just take it to the next level with complete and total destruction of any pride left in that blockhead."_

_ "Well I won't try to stop you, Lucy, and I won't reveal your plans either. But know that you're on your own in this plan to hurt poor Charlie Brown."_

_ "Oh well. More glory for me, I guess." Unbeknownst to Lucy or Violet, a mysterious figure was videotaping the entire conversation. The figure finished after both girls walked away._

_**2**__**nd**__** Clip from "Homecoming Redemption"**_

**TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE PREVIOUS HOMECOMING GAME**

_ Snoopy was laying on top of his doghouse for a little nap when Lucy came walking up. She had just heard that Snoopy would be officiating the Homecoming game. And with her plot against Charlie Brown picking up steam, he was the last piece to put in place and she knew she could manipulate him, a.k.a. threaten him. Charlie Brown and Linus, to Lucy's delight, were chosen to be escorts for the court. And, even more important to her, Charlie Brown was picked to escort the Queen. Unbeknownst to him, though, was the fact that the little red-haired girl was picked to be the Queen. But Lucy knew and was going to use that to her advantage._

_ "Snoopy, wake up!" she said. "I need to discuss business with you." Snoopy sat up and stretched out and yawned. He turned to Lucy to see what she had to say._

_ "Now listen, you stupid beagle," she began, "because I'm only going to say this once. I know about you being the referee for the upcoming Homecoming game. And I will be playing on Peppermint Patty's team. Now when the game is going on, no matter what I do on the field, TURN THE OTHER WAY. You understand me? TURN THE OTHER WAY! You didn't see anything. If you report anything I do, or tell anyone about this deal, not only will I pound you, but after I'm done, I'll give what's left of you to the cat next door!" Snoopy shook with fear. He didn't want any part of the cat next door._

_ "Now, are we clear on the instructions?" Lucy asked with an evil grin. Snoopy nodded fast. "Good. I expect you to abide by our deal." And she left Snoopy to ponder what he had gotten himself into. From a distance, the same mysterious figure was videotaping the whole thing, and then left._

_ Sometime later at the wall, Lucy was talking to Violet a bit more about her scheme against Charlie Brown._

_ "Everything is coming into place, Violet," Lucy said with glee. "That blockhead will never know what hit him. And with his beloved little red-haired girl as the Homecoming Queen, she'd be embarrassed to be anywhere near Charlie Brown. Even better is the fact his own dog is in it with me, now, with a little persuasion, of course."_

_ "Wow, that's deplorable, Lucy," said Violet. "While I'm not one to defend Charlie Brown, what has he done to deserve this kind of abuse?"_

_ "Nothing," said Lucy. "Just his being born is enough for his suffering."_

_ "Well as I said before, I won't interfere with your plot, as awful as it is, but don't expect me or Patty to help you with this."_

_ "That's okay. And I do appreciate your keeping quiet about this."_

_ "What I want to know is what are you going to do if and when Peppermint Patty finds out about this?"_

_ "I'm not worried about that idiot," said Lucy, without a shred of remorse. "She's so stupid; she'll believe that Charlie Brown screwed up. This girl thinks Snoopy is a funny-looking kid with a big nose, for crying out loud. Stevie Wonder could see that Snoopy's a dog! So why wouldn't she think he screwed up? Plus on a field that big you wouldn't tell that I was pulling the ball away. So not only will that moron Peppermint Patty think he messed up; everyone else will, too. Because he's Charlie Brown!"_

_ "And just like Charlie Brown, you're hopeless, Lucy," Violet said, walking away frustrated. Lucy just stood there, smiling about her ploy. The same mysterious figure videotaped their conversation._

_**3**__**rd**__** Clip from "Homecoming Redemption"**_

**AT THE PREVIOUS DANCE**

_Lucy watched as her brother, Charlie Brown, Franklin, Pig Pen, and Schroeder went to greet the Queen and her Princesses. Franklin was first, then Linus, then Pig Pen, and then Schroeder. Finally Charlie Brown went to escort the Queen. He was very nervous. Lucy smiled very evilly. Her plan to humiliate Charlie Brown was going smoothly, so far. She managed to pull the ball away from Charlie Brown four times during the game, and he messed up on his own during a kickoff attempt, which was a bonus for her. His crush was destined to laugh in his face as far as she was concerned. But she was shocked when she took his arm and walked toward the dance floor. And Charlie Brown proceeded to give the traditional kiss._

_ Lucy was surprised. She managed to get away with folks thinking he lost the game, but the little red-haired girl wasn't put off by Charlie Brown at all. In fact, the total opposite in that regard happened. Charlie Brown somehow managed to charm her. And they danced to the waltz real smooth. Charlie Brown, who usually would have two left feet, managed to dance very smoothly. It was like God Himself threw a bone toward Charlie Brown; figuring he deserves a good time for once. As it turned out, Charlie Brown was a hit at the dance, much to Lucy's chagrin. Peppermint Patty, on the other hand, was forgiving at that point._

_ "He may be a lousy football player," she said, "but at least he can dance."_

_ The next day, Violet met up with Lucy. She was the only person, besides Snoopy, who knew of her plan to humiliate Charlie Brown._

_ "Well I take it your plan to totally ruin Charlie Brown was a bust, huh?" she said._

_ "Not entirely," Lucy replied. "Even though the dance didn't go as I wanted it to, people still believe that Charlie Brown lost the game. So it wasn't a total loss."_

_ "Maybe not," Violet said, "but if I were you, I'd be careful. Sometimes the truth comes out."_

_ "I'm not worried, Violet. This is Charlie Brown we're talking about. He's the neighborhood's number one screw-up! No one will believe that he didn't lose the game."_

_**End of Clips**_

_**HPDrummerman**_: Now when the dance came this time, Charlie Brown could breathe a sigh of relief, as he helped win the game this time around, even when Lucy tried to humiliate him once more but was stopped by Molly Volley, who had taken over as the official for the game. But that was the least of Lucy's problems as a mysterious figure, who had been recording every one of her conversations with Violet and her threatening Snoopy was about to pull the cat out of the bag in big fashion.

_**4**__**th**__** Clip from "Homecoming Redemption"**_

"Lucy Van Pelt," the creepy voice said. "You have gotten away with a lot more than framing Charlie Brown for losing a Homecoming game. While by now everyone knows that you pulled the ball away from him just to make him look like he lost the game instead of you, no one knows the extent of your depravity. Well, except for a couple of folks; one of which is Violet Gray."

"Uh oh!" Violet said, knowing what was coming.

"While Violet was not directly involved in helping you with your sick plot, she knows what you've been up to. The only thing she's guilty of is not putting it to a stop when she could've saved Charlie Brown some added grief. You, on the other hand, have no excuse for your actions. Everyone knows how crabby and mean you are on the surface, but they don't know how deplorable you really are. That ends tonight! ROLL THE FOOTAGE!"

The lights went out and on a screen read "The REAL Lucy Van Pelt-An Anatomy of a Sinister Plot". Just then the footage the mysterious figure shot was shown. The first conversation with Violet about her plot was first shown. Everyone was shocked at what they were viewing. Charlie Brown was especially shocked, but not surprised that Lucy would do something like this. But what was shown next shook Charlie Brown to his core. It was the scene where Lucy threatened Snoopy.

_"Now listen, you stupid beagle, because I'm only going to say this once. I know about you being the referee for the upcoming Homecoming game. And I will be playing on Peppermint Patty's team. Now when the game is going on, no matter what I do on the field, TURN THE OTHER WAY. You understand me? TURN THE OTHER WAY! You didn't see anything. If you report anything I do, or tell anyone about this deal, not only will I pound you, but after I'm done, I'll give what's left of you to the cat next door!"_ When Charlie Brown learned that Lucy forced his own dog into her ploy to ruin him, he was angry beyond belief. Lucy slumped in her seat to avoid giving anyone eye contact.

The next scene was her and Violet talking about what would happen if Peppermint Patty ever found out. _"I'm not worried about that idiot. She's so stupid; she'll believe that Charlie Brown screwed up. This girl thinks Snoopy is a funny-looking kid with a big nose, for crying out loud. Stevie Wonder could see that Snoopy's a dog! So why wouldn't she think he screwed up? Plus on a field that big you wouldn't tell that I was pulling the ball away. So not only will that moron Peppermint Patty think he messed up; everyone else will, too. Because he's Charlie Brown!"_ Peppermint Patty grinded her teeth in furious anger when she saw that. Franco stood back knowing that space was good for her when she was mad.

The rest of the footage was of the game itself when Lucy pulled the ball away from Charlie Brown. Then the voice said "In spite of your treachery, Lucy Van Pelt, there was one part of your ploy that you could not influence!" Then the footage of Charlie Brown escorting the little red-haired girl to the dance floor played.

"I actually danced with the little red-haired girl?" Charlie Brown's memory of that night was still foggy at best. He remembered the game before, but not the actual dance because of his nervousness.

The voice continued, "And even though you succeeded with making folks think that Charlie Brown lost the football game, it wasn't enough for the queen to turn her back on him. In fact, she enjoyed the dance very much." By this time Lucy was trying to hide her face in shame.

As the video was winding down, the last scene was a continuation of Lucy's conversation with Violet. _"Wow, that's deplorable, Lucy," said Violet. "While I'm not one to defend Charlie Brown, what has he done to deserve this kind of abuse?"_

_ "Nothing," said Lucy. "Just his being born is enough for his suffering."_ And then the movie ended. All of the kids in the dance hall were livid, but no one more so than Charlie Brown or Peppermint Patty. Lucy had played both of them and even worse, at least for Charlie Brown, she forced Snoopy into helping her. Charlie Brown noticed Snoopy bawling. He was sad because Lucy forced him into turning the other way during that game.

"Snoopy," Charlie Brown began, "I'm not mad at you, ol' pal. It wasn't your fault what Lucy did to me. You were just as much a victim of hers as I was. And I'm going to rectify that now!"

Charlie Brown angrily walked over to where Lucy was sitting. Violet, Shermy, Patty, and Ox left the table, leaving Lucy by herself with her angry round-headed foe. Peppermint Patty wasn't that far behind as she was headed that way herself.

"H-H-Hello, Charlie Brown," greeted a nervous Lucy.

"Lucy," he started, "over the years I put up with a lot of your shenanigans and teasing. Whether it was you pulling the ball away from me, not counting this of course, being the worst baseball player in the history of the game, calling me 'Failure Face', 'Blockhead', and other hurtful names, and belittling me in front of everybody. And as upsetting as all of that was, I let it slide. Some would say I let it slide way too much than deserved. But as angry as I am over this revelation that you planned to ruin my chances with the little red-haired girl, not even that can match my fury over the fact you FORCED MY DOG INTO HELPING WITH YOUR LOUSY SCHEME! Linus will still be my best friend; Rerun will always be welcome to play with Snoopy; but as for you, Lucille Van Pelt, YOU ARE DEAD TO ME! STAY OUT OF MY LIFE, AND STAY AWAY FROM MY DOG!" And a fuming Charlie Brown stormed back to his table. Frieda comforted him. And Snoopy hugged him with gratitude. But the confrontation with Lucy wasn't over, because it was Peppermint Patty's turn.

"Lucille," she began, "I'll start where Chuck left off. I can forgive the hurtful things you said about me, but the fact that you lied to me about your intentions, that's unforgivable. While you pulling the ball away during the game is now common knowledge, NO ONE could imagine the complete and total deplorable plan you really had for poor Chuck! Even worse, as Chuck pointed out a moment ago, was that you got Snoop involved. And you forced him into turning the other way when you pulled the ball away."

"And you threatened an official, Lucy Van Pelt," the voice chimed in. "You should've been kicked off the team right then and there for that alone!"

"Well not only are you off the team," Patty continued, "but I will personally see to it that you NEVER play in any Pee-Wee football league team in the tri-county region AGAIN! Now I'm going to give you the same advice you gave Chuck that night at the dance. If you were smart, Lucille, you get out of here fast. And that's not a suggestion, if you get my drift!" Patty punched a fist into her palm. Lucy immediately got up and started heading for the door.

As she was leaving, Lucy heard a lot of comments toward her. "I tried to warn you about the consequences," said Violet.

"How the mighty have fallen," Shermy quipped.

"And I thought I was the dirty one," Pig Pen chimed in.

Patty and Ox just shook their heads. Schroeder simply said, "And THIS is why I will never marry you."

"Das Hexe*," said an angry Franco under his breath.

"Karma will always get you in the end," said a stoic Franklin.

"Hey Frankie, who's Karma?" asked a confused Melanie.

"I don't blame Charlie Brown for doing what he did," Linus said to his sister as she headed out the door. "You always do stuff like this, Lucy. When are you going to act like a decent human being?! I'll see you at home, unfortunately." And he walked back to the table where Charlie Brown and Frieda were. Lucy hung her head and walked out. She was at her lowest point. She now realized the ramifications of her actions, but it was too late. It costed Lucy her friendship with Charlie Brown and possibly Peppermint Patty. She headed for home.

Meanwhile, back in the dance hall, the voice spoke again. "You may be wondering who I am and why I did this. Well I will reveal myself to you now." Just then that mysterious figure who taped all of those conversations and setups Lucy was doing stepped out of the shadows. Then they took off their trench coat, hat, and scarf to reveal their identity.

"GOOD GRIEF!" exclaimed Linus. "IT'S HEATHER!"

"THE LITTLE RED-HAIRED GIRL?!" shouted a shocked Charlie Brown.

It was in fact Heather Wold, the little red-haired girl herself in the flesh. She was back in town, but for how long? She said, "I know what you're all thinking. What is Heather doing back? Didn't she move away last year? Yes I did, and I'm still living in my new house. I just came back to visit my grandmother for the week. But when I found out Homecoming was this week, I wanted to see if Lucy ever changed her ways. Unbeknownst to her, this game was her test. During the majority of the game she was all right, until she shoved Schroeder out of the way to try to pull the ball away from Charlie Brown again.

"To say the least, she failed big time. But luckily Molly Volley put a stop to that before Lucy could humiliate him again. So that's when I put this plan into action. Back before the last Homecoming, when I was nominated as Homecoming Queen, I found out Lucy nominated Charlie Brown and her brother Linus. Why she inserted her brother's name in there I don't know, but I knew her nomination of Charlie was filled with bad intentions. So I started following her and found out that she was plotting to set up Charlie Brown to lose the game by 'suggesting' he join the football team to Peppermint Patty. So I kept following her and documenting her evil scheme. I had already produced the footage that proved that she pulled the ball away; but I held on to the rest in case she never learned her lesson, which she didn't."

"So you did all of this?" asked Peppermint Patty.

"Well, I can't take all the credit," Heather said. "I did have some help from some of your friends. Well, one is more Snoopy's friend." And then, Woodstock flew in, to the surprise of everyone.

"HEY!" shouted Snoopy when he saw his friend. Woodstock immediately flew over and Snoopy hugged him.

"And he's not the only one who helped," Heather continued. That's when Marcie walked in.

"MARCIE?!" said Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty, in unison.

"That's right," said Marcie. "Heather was the one who gave me that first tape of Charles being tricked by Lucille. But when she tried the same trick at today's game, that's when we decided that she needed to be taught a lesson."

"Woodstock taped the other footage at the game," said Heather. "And that's pretty much it."

"Charles," Marcie began, "even though we're both now dating someone, I'm still very fond of you. And what Lucille did to you at that game was beyond horrific. I felt that it was my duty to rectify the damage she's done. And with Heather's help, I was able to."

"Marcie," Charlie Brown said, "thank you so much. Words cannot describe what this means to me. And thank you, Heather. While what Lucy did was horrible, I'm lucky to have friends who have my back."

"Not a problem, Charlie Brown," said Heather. "And Frieda, you got a good guy there. You are one lucky girl."

"I know, Heather," Frieda said, holding Charlie Brown's hand. "He's one in a million."

"Well, I need to get going," Heather said. "And Charlie Brown, you got a friend for life."

"Take care, Heather," Charlie Brown said. "And thanks again." As Heather walked out the door, Charlie Brown remembered his conversation with Linus the day after the dance from last time:

_"Instead of the goat," Linus said, "you were the hero, Charlie Brown!"_

_ "What good is it to do anything, Linus," said Charlie Brown, "if you can't remember what you did?!"_

_ "Well, at least it was your first kiss, Charlie Brown."_

"Well Chuck," Peppermint Patty said, "you finally managed to talk to the little red-haired girl."

"Yeah I did, Patty," said Charlie Brown. "But as far as I'm concerned, I got the better little red-haired girl right here."

"Aww thank you, sweetie," said Frieda, who then gave Charlie Brown a kiss.

"You know, Chuck, in spite of what you or others may think you are NOT a loser. You are a winner, Chuck!" And everyone cheered.

_**End of Clip**_

_**HPDrummerman**_: As you probably already know, all has since been forgiven with Lucy. But it was her ostracization that happened here that set up the events for the "Descent Into Darkness" story arc. That wasn't the only story here, as well. After getting counseling in the previous episode "Starstruck" Thibault decides to go to military school to better himself.

_**Linus**_: He's been a pretty decent guy ever since. And he and Rattler are doing great.

_**HPDrummerman**_: Well here's the clip of him bidding farewell to Peppermint Patty and Franco to end the list.

_**5**__**th**__** Clip from "Homecoming Redemption"**_

The next day, Peppermint Patty and Franco went to the bus station to see Thibault off as he left for military school. For his part Thibault was optimistic. This was the chance for him to change his life and possibly become a better person. He didn't want to think like his uncle Max anymore. He wanted to be able to treat girls with the respect they deserved.

"Well," he began, "this is it, I guess. Thanks for coming to see me off."

"Forget about it, Thibault," said Peppermint Patty. "That reminds me. Patty wanted me to give you this." She had a note in an envelope. Thibault opened it and read it.

_Dear Thibault,_

_ It pretty much goes without saying that you messed up big time with me. That being said, I do hope that you get the help you need. Peppermint Patty told me how sorry you were for your actions and that you regret what you did. Well I want you to know while we will never get back together as boyfriend and girlfriend, I do forgive you. And hopefully when you get back from military school, we can start over as good friends. And when you do get back, the restraining order may be lifted by that time so it wouldn't be a problem. Take care of yourself and have a safe trip._

_Sincerely,_

_Patty Swanson_

This meant the world to Thibault. All he ever wanted was Patty's forgiveness and he received it. Now he could go to military school with a clear conscience.

"Tell Patty I said 'Thank you'," said Thibault, fighting back tears.

"I'll do that, kid," said Peppermint Patty. "Don't become a stranger, you hear?"

And then Thibault boarded his bus and took his seat. The bus then took off and Patty and Franco waved at Thibault as he left for military school.

_**End of Clip**_

**UP NEXT: SEASON 2 SOUNDTRACK**


	14. Season 2 Soundtrack and Thank-Yous

**SOUNDTRACK TO SEASON 2**

Song list for Season 2:

"I Know There's Something Going On"-performed by Frida (courtesy of Polar Music International AB)

"I'm Still In Love With You"-performed by Al Green (courtesy of Hi Records, under exclusive license to Fat Possum Records)

"Blame It On the Boogie"-performed by The Jacksons (courtesy of Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment)

"Shining Star"-performed by Earth, Wind & Fire (courtesy of Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment)

"Memories"-performed by Elvis Presley (courtesy of RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment)

"I Will Remember You"-performed by Sarah McLachlan (courtesy of RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment)

"Little Birdie"-performed by Vince Guaraldi (courtesy of Concord Music Group)

"We're Here to Entertain You"-performed by The Jackson 5 (courtesy of Motown Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.)

"Shelter In the Rain"-performed by Stevie Wonder (courtesy of Motown Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.)

"Friends"-performed by Bob James featuring Neil Jason (courtesy of Tappan Zee Records under license to Evolution Ltd.)

"Miracle"-performed by Whitney Houston (courtesy of RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment)

"You're the Best"-performed by Joe Esposito (courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.)

"Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron"*

"Down Behind the Lines"*

"The Return of The Red Baron"*

"That's What Friends Are For"-performed by Dionne Warwick featuring Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder (courtesy of RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment)

(*) performed by The Royal Guardsmen (courtesy of Capitol Records LLC, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc)

Some of the songs in the episodes "The Play-Showtime", "The Play-Let My Sister Live", and "Christmas Miracles" were actually performed by the characters themselves and thus not included on the soundtrack list.

_**HPDrummerman**_: I hope you enjoyed this list and my own reflections of these particular episodes. And thanks to Linus Van Pelt for being here to help. And I do want to acknowledge some of these other fanfic writers and thank them for continued support:

LivingOnLaughs

HappinessIsABeagle

Animatic Psychopath

Godzilla183

Pokeshipping Fun2019

latashayoung216

Also I'd like to thank the following for inspiration: TheCartoonKid, Ballz Mahoney, Orange Ratchet, sarabell, David Crap-Writer, and of course Fanfiction for providing a place for me to express my stories. And though it will not show up right away, Season 3 is definitely a go with some big changes coming! Can we say Junior High?

**UP NEXT: "SUMMER OF CHAOS"**


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